WRITTEN QUESTION E-3829/00 by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission. Linguistic minorities in the applicant countries.
Date: 2000-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union, ethnic group, linguistic group, pre-accession strategy

C 187 E/58

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

Under Article 11 of the Directive, Member States must bring into force the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directive not later than 1 January 1994 and must
forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

Beyond those legislative references, it is not for the Council to monitor the implementation by the Member
States of its own acts, such competence having been devolved by the Treaty upon the Commission.

However, it should be pointed out that the Directive to which the Honourable Member refers is in the
process of being amended. On 16 January the Commission adopted a communication and an accompany-
ing proposal on the subject of pig welfare.

(2001/C 187 E/062)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3829/00

by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Linguistic minorities in the applicant countries

The studies produced by the EU on the applicant countries clearly show the need for greater and more
precise knowledge of their linguistic minorities.

How does the Commission intend to tackle this aspect, in order to persuade the applicant countries to
devote more specific attention to their linguistic as well as their ethnic minorities?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(14 February 2001)

As of 1997, the Commission has regularly assessed progress made by the candidate countries in meeting
the criteria for membership laid down at the Copenhagen European Council,
including the political
criterion of (cid:145)stability of institutions guaranteeing, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the respect
for and protection of minorities(cid:146). The Commission has first done so in its 1997 Opinions, and
subsequently in the Regular Reports that the Commission has adopted in the autumn of respectively
1998, 1999 and 2000.

The political criterion laid down by the Copenhagen European Council makes no distinction between the
various elements that may make up the identity of persons belonging to a minority, be it their ethnic,
cultural, linguistic or religious heritage. In assessing progress made by the candidate countries in ensuring
respect for and the protection of minorities, the Commission devotes particular attention to the respect for,
and the implementation of, the various principles laid down in the Council of Europe Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities,
including those related to the use of minority
languages.

In order to help the candidate countries remedy the specific weaknesses and shortcomings identified in the
Regular Reports, the Community establishes an Accession Partnership for each of the candidate coun-
tries (1). These Accession Partnerships put forward short and medium-term priorities for each country to
fulfil the accession criteria. They also indicate the financial assistance available from the Community in
support of these priorities and the conditions attached to that assistance.

The regular assessment of progress made by the candidate countries in meeting the requirements set by the
Copenhagen political criteria, supported by the Accession Partnerships, has led to positive developments in
all candidate countries, also as regards respect for minority rights and the protection of minorities,
including the use of minority languages. The Commission continues its work in this direction.

(1) COM(1999) 521 final to 532 final.