Art. 1

The Council for National Minorities is established as advisory body of the Romanian Government co-ordinated by the general secretary of the Government.

The purpose of the Council for National Minorities is to follow up on the specific problems of the persons belonging to national minorities and the normative, administrative and financial problems which are related to the exercise of the rights of the persons belonging to national minorities to preserve, develop and express their ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity as they are defined in the Romanian Constitution, in the laws in force and in the international treaties and conventions to which Romania is part fall within its competence.

Art. 2

The Council for National Minorities consists of representatives of the legally constituted organisations of citizens belonging to national minorities at the time of the general elections from September 27, 1992.

The representatives of the following bodies of the central public administration who have the rank of secretary or general director, as the case may be, are also members of the Council:

-Ministry of External Affairs;

-Ministry of Justice;

-Ministry of Domestic Affairs;

-Ministry of Finances;

-Ministry of Culture;

-Ministry of Education;

-Ministry of Labour and Social Protection;

-Ministry of Public Operations and Organization of Territories;

-Ministry of Youth and Sports;

-State Secretariat for Religious Cults;

-Department for Local Public Administration within the Government;

The Secretariat of the Council for National Minorities is provided by the Secretariat of the Government.

Art. 3

The Council for National Minorities has the following powers:

1. establishes and maintains contacts with the representatives of the legally constituted organisations of citizens belonging to national minorities;

2. makes proposals for the elaboration of draft Bills and Government decrees in order to solve the problems which are within its competency;

3. proposes to the Government or to the general secretary of the Government, as the case may be, the adoption of administrative measures for solving the problems which are within its competency;

4. informs the Government, usually quarterly, about the problems discussed in the council;

5. maintains permanent contacts and co-operates with the bodies of the local public administration in order to identify the specific problems of the administrative-territorial units and in order to solve them;

6. enters into contact with governmental and non-governmental organisations from abroad and with international organisations interested in the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities;

7. expresses opinions on draft Bills, Government decrees and the ministers� orders which are related to the rights and obligations of persons belonging to national minorities;

8. receives and examines the requests and notifications of institutions, organisations or natural persons within its sphere of activity;

Art. 4

The Council for National Minorities assemble on a quarterly basis or whenever necessary.

The Council for National Minorities holds its meetings in plenary sessions or working committees according to the functioning rules, which shall be elaborated within 60 days from the date of coming into force of the present decree.

Art. 5

If the examined problems are related to the issue of public finances the Government , at the well-founded proposal of the Council for National Minorities, will be able to adopt decisions based on art. 17 of Law no. 10/1991 on public finances and the provisions of the annual budgetary law.

Art. 6

Within 5 days from the coming into force of the present law, the heads of the public authorities provided under art. 2 shall name the members of the Council for National Minorities.

Within the same time limit , the general secretary of the Government shall initiate consultations with the legally constituted organisations of the persons belonging to national minorities in order to name their representatives in the Council for National Minorities.

Art. 7

The Secretariat of the Council for National Minorities, provided under art. 2 paragraph 3 of the present decree, is named by the general secretary of the Government�s order, within the approved number of positions for the General Secretariat of the Government.

The budget of the General Secretariat of the Government is supplemented with the necessary sums for the functioning of the Council for National Minorities.

Source: Unofficial Translation