Changes from resolution motion to adopted text

RemovedB90405/2020

AddedP9_TA(2020)0370

RemovedEuropean Parliament resolution on the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Minority SafePack one million signatures for diversity in Europe’

AddedEuropean Citizens’ Initiative - Minority SafePack

Removed(2020/2846(RSP))

AddedPE661.533

AddedEuropean Parliament resolution of 17 December 2020 on the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Minority SafePack – one million signatures for diversity in Europe’ (2020/2846(RSP))

The European Parliament,

Changed– having regard to the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Minority SafePack – one million signatures for diversity in Europe’(ECI(2020)000004),Europe’ (ECIXXXX),

Changed– having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and in particular,particular Articles 2, 3(3) and 11(4) thereof,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and in particular Articles 19, 24, 53(1), 63, 79(2), 107(3)(e), 108(4), 109, 118, 165(4), 167(5), 173(3), 177, 178 and 182(1) thereof,

Changed– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the European Citizens’ Initiative,Initiative (‘the ECI Regulation’),

Changed– having regard to Articles 10, 21, 22 and 51 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,Union (‘the Charter’), and in particular to Articles 10, 21, 22 and 51 thereof,

Removed– having regard to Article 27 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1966,

Added– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 21-22 June 1993 which established the requirements a country must fulfil in order to be eligible to join the European Union (the Copenhagen criteria),

Removed– having regard to the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,

Added– having regard to Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which were adopted by the UN General Assembly on 16 December 1966,

Removed– having regard to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) 1990 Copenhagen Document and to the numerous thematic recommendations and guidelines on minority rights issued by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights,

Added– having regard to the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, as well as the opinions of the relevant monitoring bodies,

Removed– having regard to the rulings and case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), in particular case T-646/13 (Minority SafePack one million signatures for diversity in Europe v Commission), and case T-391/17,

Added– having regard to the 1990 Copenhagen Document of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and to the numerous thematic recommendations and guidelines on minority rights issued by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR),

Changed– having regard to Commission Decision (EU)its 2017/652resolution of 2913 MarchNovember 20172018 on the proposed citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Minority SafePack one millionminimum signaturesstandards for diversityminorities in Europe’,the EU,

Removed– having regard to the public hearing on the Minority SafePack European Citizens’ Initiative organised on 15 October 2020 by the Committee on Culture and Education, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Petitions,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 7 February 2018 on protection and non-discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States,

Removed– having regard to the proposals in this European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) on the legislative acts expected from the European Commission based on the ECI, presented to the European Commission after the submission of the signatures, and presented at the European Parliament during the public hearing,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 11 September 2018 on language equality in the digital age,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 11 September 2013 on endangered European languages and linguistic diversity in the European Union,

Added– having regard to the Council Recommendation of 22 May 2019 on a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages,

Added– having regard to the decisions and case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), in particular case T-646/13 (Minority SafePack – one million signatures for diversity in Europe v Commission), and case T-391/17 (Romania v Commission);

Added– having regard to Commission Decision (EU) 2017/652 of 29 March 2017 on the proposed citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Minority SafePack — one million signatures for diversity in Europe’,

Added– having regard to the public hearing of 15 October 2020 on the Minority SafePack European Citizens’ Initiative organised by the Committee on Culture and Education, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Petitions,

Added– having regard to the proposal of the Minority SafePack European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) with regard to the legislative acts expected from the Commission based on the ECI, put forward to the Commission after the submission of the signatures and presented at Parliament during the public hearing,

– having regard to Rule 222(8) of its Rules of Procedure,

Change 1

ChangedA. whereas pursuant to Article 2 of the TEU, the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities;

Change 2

ChangedB. whereas Article 3(3) of the TEU states that the Union’s aimsaim includeis to promote economic, social and territorial cohesion,cohesion and solidarity among Member States, as well as theto respect of its rich cultural and linguistic diversity,diversity and ensuringensure that Europe’s cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced;

Change 3

RemovedC. whereas Article 21(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states that any discrimination based on any ground, including language and membership of a national minority, shall be prohibited;

AddedC. whereas Article 6 TFEU recognises that the EU has competences in the fields of culture and education to carry out actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States; whereas the Commission should engage actively with the Member States in these policy fields, which are also of major concern for persons belonging to minorities;

RemovedD. whereas Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states that the Union shall respect cultural and linguistic diversity;

AddedD. whereas according to Article 10 TFEU, the Union must aim to combat discrimination based among others on racial or ethnic origin in defining and implementing its policies and activities;

RemovedE. whereas respect for cultural diversity is enshrined in Article 167 of the TFEU;

AddedE. whereas Article 21(1) of the Charter states that any discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation, shall be prohibited;

RemovedF. whereas approximately 8 % of EU citizens belong to a national minority, and approximately 10 % speak a regional or minority language; whereas they represent an essential part of the cultural wealth of the Union through their unique languages and cultures;

AddedF. whereas Article 22 of the Charter states that the Union shall respect cultural, religious and linguistic diversity;

RemovedG. whereas the general concept of minorities in Europe is covered by a wide range of terms in legal and academic language; whereas, in order to bypass the difficulty of using the variety of terms used across Europe, the Council of Europe in its Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities, which still represents the highest international standard for minority protection in Europe, uses the term ‘national minority’;

AddedG. whereas respect for cultural diversity is enshrined in Article 167 TFEU;

RemovedH. whereas many national and linguistic minorities face an accelerating trend of assimilation and language loss, which can translate into diminished linguistic and cultural pluralism within the EU;

AddedH. whereas approximately 8 % of EU citizens belong to a national minority and approximately 10 % speak a regional or minority language; whereas they represent an essential element of the cultural wealth of the Union through their unique languages and cultures;

RemovedI. whereas the Minority SafePack European Citizens’ Initiative (the initiative) was submitted to the European Commission on 15 July 2013, calling for EU action to support national and linguistic minorities by implementing 11 proposals;

AddedI. whereas the general concept of minorities in Europe is covered by a wide range of terms in legal and academic language; whereas these social groups are often interchangeably referred to as national minorities, ethnic groups, traditional or autochthonous minorities, nationalities, inhabitants of constitutional regions, linguistic minorities, groups speaking lesser-used languages, language groups etc.; whereas in order to bypass the difficulty of carrying over the variety of terms used across Europe, the Council of Europe in its Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities, which still represents the highest international standard for minority protection in Europe, uses the term ‘national minority’; whereas the Minority SafePack ECI uses the term ‘national and linguistic minorities’ when referring to such minority groups;

RemovedJ. whereas on 13 September 2013 the same ECI was started, but the European Commission did not find it sufficiently substantiated to register; whereas the organisers of the initiative lodged an appeal at the CJEU, and on 3 February 2017 the Court delivered its judgement annulling the Commission’s decision not to register the initiative;

AddedJ. whereas most national and linguistic minorities face an accelerating trend of assimilation and language loss, which translates into a linguistic and cultural impoverishment within the EU and the loss of its diversity, something the EU is called required protect under the Treaties; whereas education is the main tool for the revitalisation and preservation of minority languages;

RemovedK. whereas in order to take the necessary measures to comply with the judgement of the General Court, the European Commission reviewed the legal admissibility of the initiative and decided on 29 March 2017 to register the initiative on the basis of nine of its initial 11 proposals;

AddedK. whereas the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger lists 186 languages from EU Member States as vulnerable or in danger and three additional languages as extinct;

RemovedL. whereas in line with Article 15 of the ECI Regulation, the Commission’s legal admissibility check is followed by an examination of the substance of the ECI after the successful collection of signatures; whereas the Commission sets out its legal and political conclusions on the initiative on the basis of the EU Treaties;

AddedL. whereas the Minority SafePack ECI was submitted to the Commission on 15 July 2013, calling for EU action to support national and linguistic minorities in 11 areas;

RemovedM. whereas between 3 April 2017 and 3 April 2018 1 128 385 certified signatures were collected in the EU, and the minimum national threshold was reached in 11 Member States;

AddedM. whereas on 13 September 2013, the Commission did not find this sufficiently substantiated to register the ECI; whereas the organisers of the ECI lodged an appeal at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and on 3 February 2017, the General Court of the CJEU delivered its judgment annulling the decision of the Commission;

RemovedN. whereas the ECI is the first instrument for transnational participatory democracy in the world, enabling citizens to engage directly with the EU institutions;

AddedN. whereas in order to take the necessary measures to comply with the judgment of the General Court, the Commission reanalysed the legal admissibility of the ECI and through the adoption of Decision (EU) 2017/652, registered the initiative in nine of the 11 areas initially requested;

RemovedO. whereas the Minority SafePack is the fifth successful ECI out of a total of six;