Monitoring Minority Protection in EU Accession States and Member States (2001-2002)

EUMAP monitoring of minority protection in Europe

EUMAP monitoring of minority protection was initiated in 2000 with the aim of encouraging an independent monitoring of the EU accession process by civil society actors, to complement the evaluations of the European Commission and contribute to articulating the EU's own human rights and minority protection standards. EUMAP has published two sets of reports on minority protection - in 2001 and 2002.

As for all EUMAP reports, monitoring on minority protection was carried out by independent experts working in cooperation with NGOs and in consultation with minority representatives in each country. Monitoring was based on a methodology (available on this website) developed by EUMAP, with the assistance of an international advisory board. Each draft report was offered for feedback, critique and discussion at roundtable meetings organised in the monitored countries. This critical input then was then incorporated into the final reports, published both in English and the national languages, and launched internationally at the EU and nationally in the monitored countries.

The EUMAP reports adopt the approach of the European Commission in addressing both non-discrimination and minority rights. Anti-discrimination measures are designed to ensure that individuals are not treated differently from others for unjustifiable reasons. Minority rights provisions aim to allow individuals and communities to preserve their differences so as to avoid forced assimilation info a majority culture. Anti-discrimination and minority rights are complementary responses to the problems facing minorities, who confront risks both of exclusion and assimilation. They may be properly thought of as aspects of a single comprehensive approach that EUMAP reports considered under the name of ‘‘minority protection.’’

The 2001 EUMAP minority protection reports addressed minority protection in ten CEE countries by focusing on the situation of one vulnerable minority group in each country: Roma in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, and Russian-speakers in Estonia and Latvia. For each country, monitoring assessed the legislative framework for minority protection; its implementation in practice; and national institutions responsible for minority protection. Monitoring on protection from discrimination focused on the fields of education, employment, healthcare, housing and criminal justice. Monitoring on protection of minority rights addressed issues of identity, language, education, media, and public participation.

The findings of these reports indicated that, in general, the accession process had been instrumental in improving minority protection standards and practice in candidate countries. Most governments have acceded to key international standards and many have carried out legislative reforms and announced programs to combat discrimination. Despite these positive steps, however, the report recommends that national governments of these countries complete legislative reform and take steps to ensure the real enforcement of minority protection laws and policies. At the level of the EU, main recommendations of the 2001 EUMAP reports are that common European standards in the field of minority protection need to be more clearly defined and articulated, and government policies and practices in this area systematically and regularly monitored.

The first volume of the 2002 EUMAP minority protection reports embrace EUMAP's own recommendation that in order to be effective monitoring needs to be continuous. These follow-up reports on the ten CEE accession countries move from the level of general standards and legislation, and their implementation in practice, to government policies for minority protection and integration. The reports assess the efficacy of selected government programmes or national action plans adopted in response to the political requirements of EU accession, to improve the situation of Roma or Russian-speaking minorities in these countries. In each country, one national programme was selected and assessed in terms of programme content and implementation; the role of local government; programme evaluation and assessment; minority participation and representation; and public support.

Although in most cases it was too soon to assess in detail the implementation and effectiveness of these programmes, a general problem identified was an insufficiently comprehensive approach to minority protection. Common issues affecting the implementation of the programmes included ineffective co-ordination; lack of capacity; lack of funding; lack of public support; and insufficient political commitment and will.

The second volume of the 2002 reports follow the same methodology as the 2001 reports, but address the situation of a vulnerable minority group in the five largest EU Member States: Muslims in France, Italy, and the UK; Roma in Germany and Spain. These reports serve to emphasise another main recommendation of the 2001 reports, namely that human rights standards, including minority protection, should apply equally to all EU members, current as well as future.

To request copies of the print publication of the 2001 reports, please use the Publication order form. Please note that the 2002 publications are no longer available in print, but can still be downloaded at the links above.