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Abstract:
The Treaty of Lisbon introduced some profound changes in the European Union. Those of highest relevance for national minorities will be considered in this contribution. First, the fact that minorities for the first time entered primary law is addressed. Secondly, the new legal status of the Charter of Fundamental Rights is scrutinised in order to determine whether this has special implications for minorities. Thirdly, the accession of the European Union to the European Convention of Human Rights is addressed, as minorities have a special interest in this. Similarly, citizen initiatives are not changes exclusive to minorities; however, using the Minority Safepack as an example, it is shown how minorities can at least potentially profit from this change in the treaties. Five years after entering into force, the Lisbon Treaty does not seem to have made much of a difference for national minorities.
Notes
1 Calculation based on the table in C Pan and BS Pfeil, National Minorities in Europe (Vienna, Braumüller 2003), 10.
2 K Gál and D Hicks, “The European Parliament Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages, 2009–2014’ (2010) 3 Europäisches Journal für Minderheitenfragen 236–250, 237.
3 Hereafter also referred to as the Lisbon Treaty. See OJ 2010/C/83/1.
4 Herefter also referred to as the Charter or abbreviated to CFR. See OJ C 2010/ 83/02.
5 Hereafter also referred to as the Convention or abbreviated to ECHR. Available online at http://conventions.coe.int (accessed 16 July 2014).
6 G Toggenburg, “Minorities (. . .) the European Union: Is the Missing Link an “Of” or a “Within”?” (2003) 25 Journal of European Integration 273–284, 278.
7 See generally T Ahmed, The Impact of EU Law on Minority Rights (Oxford, Hart Publishing 2011). For a shorter overview see W Hummer, “Minderheitenschutz im Recht der EU vor und nach dem Inkrafttreten des Vertrags von Lissabon” (2011) 4 Europäisches Journal für Minderheitenfragen 81–102.
8 Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 “Implementing the Principle of Equal Treatment between Persons Irrespective of Racial or Ethnic Origin”, OJ L 180/33.
9 EC Regulation 1007/2009 on Trade in Seal Products [2009] OJ L286/36.
10 G de Burca, “The Road not Taken” (2001) 105 American J of Int Law 649–693.
11 G Toggenburg, “The EU's Evolving Policies vis-a-vis Minorities: A Play in Four Parts and an Open End” (EUR.AC Research, Bozen/Bolzano 2008), 3–5.
12 R Krueger, “Landdag kræver EU Kommissær for Mindretal”, Flensborg Avis (Flensburg, 20 June 2014), 8-9.
13 European Council in Copenhagen 21–22 June 1993, “Conclusions of the Presidency”, SN 180/1/93 Rev. 1, no. 7. A. iii).
14 Available online at http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/document/index_en.htm (accessed 16 July 2014).
15 EU Network of Independent Experts on Fundamental Rights, “Thematic Comment No. 3: The Protection of Minorities in the European Union”, 25 April 2005.
16 EU Network of Independent Experts on Fundamental Rights, “Thematic Comment No. 3: The Protection of Minorities in the European Union”, 25 April 2005, 61.
17 EU Network of Independent Experts on Fundamental Rights, “Thematic Comment No. 3: The Protection of Minorities in the European Union”, 25 April 2005, 61.
18 Hereafter also referred to as the Agency or abbreviated to FRA.
19 Council Decision “Implementing Regulation (EC) no. 168/2007 as Regards the Adoption of the Multiannual Framework for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for 2007–2010”, OJ 07/03/2008 L63/14, art. 2(b).
20 Council Decision No. 252/2013/EU “Establishing a Multiannual Framework for 2013–2017 for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights”, OJ 21/03/2013 L79/1, art. 2(d) and 2(g).
21 The full title is European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey. The surveys are carried out with a special focus, for example Muslims (report no. 2) or Police Stops and Minorities (report no. 4). Available online at http://fra.europa.eu (accessed 16 July 2014).
22 Available online at http://fra.europa.eu (accessed 16 July 2014).
23 Council Regulation (EC) 168/2007 of 15 February 2007 “Establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights”. OJ L 53, chapter II.
24 Available online at http://living-diversity.blogspot.dk/2014/12/intergruppe-fur-minderheiten-hat.html (accessed 15 December 2014).
25 Council Directive 2000/43/EC (n. 8) art. 3.
26 For a good examination of this issue, see M Ambrus, Enforcement Mechanisms of the Racial Equality Directive and Minority Protection (The Hague, Eleven International Publishing, 2011).
27 K Drzewicki, “National Minority Issues and the EU Reform Treaty. A Perspective of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities” (2008) 19 Security & Human Rights 137–146, 142.
28 D Moeckli, S Shah and S Sivakumaran, International Human Rights Law, 2nd ed. (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014), 101–104.
29 H-J Blank and S Mangiameli, “Article 2, TEU: The Homogeneity Clause”, in H-J Blank and S Mangiameli (eds), The Treaty on European Union: A Commentary (Berlin, Springer, 2013) 109–155.
30 Article 51(1) CFR.
31 See art. 52(7) CFR and W Weiß, “Human Rights in the EU: Rethinking the Role of the European Convention on Human Rights after Lisbon” (2011) 7 European Constitutional Law Rev 64–95, 70–71.
32 Explanations Relating to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, OJ 14/12/2007, explanation on art. 51, para. 2
33 Case C–206/13 Cruciano Siragusa v Regione Sicilia Beni Culturali e Abmientali de Palermo (Tenth Chamber, 6 March 2014).
34 See also case C-265/13 Emiliano Torrablo Marcos v. Korota, SA, Fondo de Garantía Salarial [2014] OJ C 151 and case C-617/10 Åklageren v. Hans ÅkerbergFransson [2013] OJ C 129.
35 Case C–206/13 (n. 33) para. 24.
36 Case C–206/13 (n. 33) para. 25.
37 Case C–206/13 (n. 33) paras. 31–32.
38 The Agency of Fundamental Rights provides a database of EU case law that refers directly to the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Available online at http://infoportal.fra.europa.eu/InfoPortal/caselawFrontEndAccess.do?homePage=yes (accessed 16 July 2014).
39 The articles on non-discrimination in the TFEU did not and do not target minorities explicitly; however, they can be considered primary law relevant to members of minorities. See W Hummer (n 7 above) 95–97.
40 For a “yes” to this answer, see G Toggenburg, “The Lisbon Treaty: A Rich Cocktail Served in an Only Half-Full Glass’ (2012) 5 Europäisches Journal für Minderheitenfragen 78 W Hummer (n 7) 79–80.
41 For more on the discussion on linguistic diversity see F de Varennes, “The Linguistic Rights of Minorities in Europe”, in S. Trifunovska (ed), Minorities Rights in Europe: European Minorities and Language (The Hague, T.M.C. Asser Press, 2001), 3–30, 19, and X Arzoz, “The Protection of Linguistic Minorities Through Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights” in X Arzoz (ed.), Respecting Linguistic Diversity in the European Union (Amsterdam, John Benjamins Publishing 2008), 145–173, 151–52.
42 For the different proposals see X Arzoz (n. 41) 148–49.
43 Article 52(3) CFR.
44 Case C-400/10 PPU JMcB v. LE, [2010], ECR I-08965, para. 53.
45 Explanations Relating to the CFR (n. 32) explanation on art. 21, para. 1.
46 Joint Communication from Presidents Costa and Skouris, available online at http://www.echr.coe.int/NR/rdonlyres/02164A4C-0B63-44C3-80C7-FC594EE16297/0/2011Communication_CEDHCJUE_EN.pdf (accessed 16 July 2014), no. 1.
47 P Syrpis, “The Treaty of Lisbon: Much ado . . . but about what?” (2008) 37 Industrial Law J 219–235, 231.
48 G de Burca (n 10) 660.
49 The Draft Agreement is found in this document: “Fifth Negotiation Meeting between the CDDH Ad Hoc Negotiation Group and the European Commission on the Accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights”, Final Report to the CDDH, 10/06/2013, CoE Doc. 47+1(2013)008rev2.
50 Article 218(8) TFEU.
51 Adv. Op. 2/13 (2014) The opinion has not yet been published in the Court Reports. Therefore, no further reference. The website where the opinion can be found is: http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=160882&pageIndex=0&doclang=en&mode=lst&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=40247.
52 Article 1(1) Draft Agreement (n. 51).
53 See for example Application No. 39013/04 Handölsdalen Sami Village v. Sweden, Judgment of 30 October 2010; Application No. 27033/1995 Könkäma and 38 other Saami villages v. Sweden, Judgment of 25 November 1996 Application No. 18584/04 Hingitaq 53 et al. v. Denmark, Judgment of 12 January 2006.
54 Article 1(3) Draft Agreement (n. 51).
55 For an overview of cases concerning members of minorities in the year 2008 alone, see L Cariolou, “Recent Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights Concerning the Protection of Minorities” (2007/2008) 7 European Yearbook of Minority Issues 513–544.
56 Status as of 13/11/2014. Available online at http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/basic-facts (accessed 13 November 2014).
57 Minority Safepack Initiative. Available online at www.fuen.org (accessed 13 November 2014).
58 Regulation (EU) 211/2011 ‘On the Citizens' Initiative’ OJ 2011 L 65, 11/032011, pp. 1–21.
59 Available online at http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/minorities/index_en.htm (accessed 14 November 2014).
60 Article 288, TFEU.
61 Letter from the Commission, 13/09/2013, C(2013) 5969 final.
62 Letter from the Commission (n. 67). See also Regulation (EU) 211/2011 “On the Citizens’ Initiative” OJ 2011 L 65, art. 4 (2) b.
63 Letter from the Commission (n. 67).
64 Guide to the European Citizens’ Initiative, available online at http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/guide, 2nd ed., 16 (accessed 27 November 2014).
65 Confidential papers on file with the author.
66 Confidential papers on file with the author.
67 Confidential papers on file with the author.
68 Letter from the Commission (n 67).
69 Case T-646/13 Citizens’ Committee for the Citizens’ Initiative Minority Safe Pack – One Million Signatures for Diversity in Europe & Others v Commission OJ C 112.
70 Case T-529/13 Izsak & Dabis v European Commission OJ C 24.
71 Letter from the Commission, 25 July 2013, C (2013) 4975 final.
72 Y McDermott, “Human Rights and the Lisbon Treaty: Consensus or Conditionality?” (2009/2010) 31 Whittier Law Rev 733–757, 746.
73 UN statistics show that only 23 states have no overdue reports. Some states are even more than ten years late in their reporting. A total of almost two thousand reports are overdue. Available online at http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/TreatyBodyExternal/LateReporting.aspx (accessed 15 November 2014).
74 Website of the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, available online at www.ohchr.org (accessed 9 January 2015).
75 List of responsibilities of Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, available online at http://ec.europa.eu/commission/2014-2019/navracsics_en (accessed 09 January 2015).
76 Mission Letter from Jean-Claude Juncker to Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, 1/11/2014.
77 T Ahmed, “The Treaty of Lisbon and Beyond: The Evolution of European Union minority protection?” (2013) 38 European Law Rev 30–51, 35.