anche la Romania stà per ratificare la carta Europea delle Lingue Minoritarie.....e invece l'italia.....no.........
che stato sottosviluppato e indegno di stare a fianco delle VERE democrazie occidentali......

Brussels 27/5/02 , by Emese Medgyesi

The enlargement perspectives of the EU and NATO seem to have a positive effect for the adoption of European standards by the candidate countries. Romania is currently preparing the ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

The Council of Europe’s Committee on the Honouring of obligations and commitments by member states (Monitoring Committee) recently announced that it might put an end to its mission in Romania. Initiated in 1997, according to Resolution 1123, the assistance of the CoE was desirable in the fields related to national minorities and especially concerning Roma communities, to questions of non-discrimination, as well as all forms of restitution of goods and property.

Today the political context has actualized the question of ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, signed by Romania in 1995. About 20 minority language communities are looking forward to the ratification. This has also been highly recommended by the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE in a recommendation in November 2001 concerning the Csango minority.

This juridical instrument was, and remains, the basic reference for the linguistic minorities of the country. However the possibility of real protection for these language communities varies a lot according to existing standards, number of speakers and heritage in infrastructures.

The Romanian internal legislative and administrative framework, which regulates the use of regional or minority languages, already offers a relatively high level of engagement. Therefore, there is a possibility that the Charter will not satisfy the expectations of certain linguistic communities in Romania – for example Hungarians and Germans – who by tradition and thanks to the number of speakers have the experience and therefore also the demand of much higher standards. On the other hand, the Charter could give a survival chance to certain endangered language communities, such as the Csangos and Ukrainians (Hutulas).

The vast majority of the Charter’s prescriptions already exist in the internal Romanian legislation. It’s mainly the application that is lacking. In fact, the ratification of the CoE’s document could have been done a long time ago without obliging the country to large changes, due to the Charter's ‘à la carte’ system. However, the monitoring system of the Charter and the obligation to establish periodical reports every three years could bring an optimal solution to the problem of honouring the implementation of linguistic rights.

What kind of perspectives could the Charter bring, once ratified? Observers point out that Romania firstly reduced its internal legislative standards in the last decade, and then signed the Charter. It remains to be concluded if the Romanian ratification is a sincere wish to protect the regional or minority languages, or if it a necessary gesture taken to be accepted by the EU and NATO. (EL)

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