News about the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
European Day of Languages (26 September)
On the occasion of the European Day of Languages (26 September), Vesna Crnić-Grotić, Chair of the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, delivered a pre-recorded message at an event organised by NPLD. She recalled that communication and education in...
Portugal signs the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
On 7 September 2021, the Permanent Representative of Portugal to the Council of Europe, in the presence of the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in Strasbourg. The signing is to be followed by Portugal’s ratification...
Coming soon: Conference on the role of NGOs and research institutions in promoting national minority rights on 7 September 2021
Budapest: In the framework of the Hungarian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, Hungary and the Council of Europe are organising a conference on “The role of NGOs and research institutions in promoting Council of Europe norms and standards on national minority rights” to be held on 7...
Norway: visit of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
A delegation of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and a delegation of the Committee of Experts (COMEX) of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages are carrying out a coordinated visit to Norway this week (23-27 August 2021)...
COMEX delegation visits Cyprus
A Committee of Experts delegation visited Cyprus in the framework of the 6th monitoring cycle of the country. Meetings were held in Nicosia on 6-7 July with the speakers of Armenian and Cypriot Maronite Arabic, the two minority and regional languages covered by the Charter. Meetings were also...
COMEX delegation visits Ukraine
On 5-9 July, a delegation of the Committee of Experts carried out the fourth on-the-spot visit to Ukraine. Meetings with the representatives of the minority language speakers and of the authorities were held in Odessa and Kyiv.
COMEX delegation visits Poland
On 14-17 June, a delegation of the Committee of Experts visited Poland. It held meetings with the representatives of the regional or minority languages speakers and of the authorities in Białystok and Warsaw.
Minority languages in Slovenia: progress on German and Italian welcomed; renewed recommendation to recognise Croatian, German and Serbian
A new report published by the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages evaluates the measures taken by Slovenia to implement the recommendations for immediate action given to it in November 2019. The Charter entered into force in Slovenia in 2001; it applies...
2nd edition of the collected texts now online
All relevant texts in one publication: the 2nd edition of the Language Charter’s collected texts is available in English and contains, along with the Charter text and its explanatory report, the relevant decisions of the Committee of Ministers and the Rules of Procedure of the Committee of...
Challenge of ensuring national minority rights taking new forms, tools to address it adapting
Achievements and future challenges in protecting national minority rights has been the focus of a high-level conference in Strasbourg organised by the Council of Europe under the Hungarian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. Persons belonging to national minorities face particular...
Conference on national minority rights on 29 June 2021: Follow it live!
The live stream to follow the conference on “Council of Europe norms and standards on national minority rights: Results and challenges” is now available on the conference website. Organised in the framework of the Hungarian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the conference is dedicated to...
Hearing with the Parliamentary Assembly
On 22 June 2021, the Chairperson of Charter’s Committee of Experts, Ms Vesna Crnic-Grotic, met parliamentarians from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on the occasion of a hearing on the application of the Charter. The Sub-Committee on the Rights of Minorities of the Assembly Committee...
Promising practices for protecting and promoting minority languages – transfer of knowledge across Europe
The Secretariat of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has published a booklet on “Protection and promotion of regional or minority languages: promising practices across Europe 2015-2020”. The collected examples of practices can serve as models for knowledge transfer among...
PACE publishes SG report on the Charter's application
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has today published the 10th report of the Secretary General on the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The report covers three consecutive years (2018-2020) and highlights the improvements that were made to...
Committee adopts 3 new mid-term reports
The Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has recently adopted three new reports on the implementation of the Recommendations for Immediate Action contained in the preceding Evaluation Report on the Slovak Republic, Spain and the United Kingdom. Prepared...
COMEX Chair makes statement on the occasion of International Women’s Day
In a video statement, the Chair of the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, Vesna Crnić-Grotić, referred to the double burden on female teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of persisting discrimination against women and called for a...
Webinar on Cultural Diversity in the Era of Global Pandemic
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of being an Observer to the Council of Europe, the Permanent Observer Mission of Japan organises a webinar entitled 'Societal Inclusion through Acknowledgement of Cultural Diversity - Experiences of Europe and Japan in the Era of Global Pandemic' on 12...
ECRML & Germany: Protection of Danish, North Frisian and Low German extended
On 6 January 2021, Germany notified the Council of Europe that it has accepted additional Part III undertakings under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages with regard to Danish, North Frisian and Low German in the Land Schleswig-Holstein and covering administrative documents,...
Protection of Manx Gaelic under the ECRML extended
On 23 December 2020, the United Kingdom notified the Council of Europe that it will apply Part III of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages to the Manx Gaelic language in respect of the territory of the Isle of Man, in accordance with the decision taken by the Isle of Man...
The Committee of Ministers takes note of 3 new mid-term reports
The Committee of Ministers has taken note of the progress made by Denmark, Finland and Hungary in terms of implementing the Recommendations for Immediate Action contained in the preceding Evaluation Report on each respective country. The Evaluation Reports of the three states concerned may be...
Text of the Charter
