Re: EU and CoE emblems?
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 97 20:34:29 -0500
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: EU and CoE emblems?
From: MINELRES moderator \ Internet: ([email protected])
Original sender: Ivan Kuhn <[email protected]>
Re: EU and CoE emblems?
On Mon, 23 Jun 1997 10:38:27 +0300 (EET DST) [email protected]
(Christian Wellmann) wrote:
>
>Take as an example not at least the minority issue: The CoE is of
>outstanding importance with respect to minority rights standard setting
>and protection;
I have to acknowledge the importance of CoE as concerns to minority rights,
but I would be probably more carefull to use word "outstanding" in this
context. I would just mention the case of the European Charter of Regional
and Minority Languages (protection of European cultural heritage) which was
passed in 1992, but until middle of 1996 it was ratified only by four
states - Finland, Norway, The Netherlands and Hungary. It becames valid,
when fifth state will ratify it. I am not sure if it happened already.
>the EU doesn't mention the word "minority" a single time in any
>of its basic treaties and any of its legislative acts, it is a none-issue
>for the EU.
Maybe the word minority is not mentioned in basic documents of EU but for
sure it is an issue for EU, at least with respect to the enlargement.
Minority rights are mentioned in the Copenhagen criteria for enlargement
and EU is strongly pressing for instance on Slovak Republic to pass the law
on minority languages.
>The CoE is a body for controlling how states behave towards
>their citizens and residents; the EU is executing state power on its
>citizens.
Citizens of European Union have the right to apeal to the European court if
they think, they were unjustly treated by their government. The decision of
the European Court overrules decisions of national institutions. Council of
Europe does not have such strong tools.
I agree, that the same symbols of EU and CoE are confusing, however I do
not think that the symbols are the most important aspect of both
organisations. If the people are confused by the existence and tasks and
responsibilities these two organisations, I do not think that it is caused
by the symbols they use, but by weak information coverage of the work of
booth instituions and lack of transparency, especially as concerns to the
EU.
Ivan Kuhn
graduate student in International Relations
University of Kent
-------------------------
Moderator adds: actually, the European Parliament has adopted several
documents on minorities too, in particular, Resolution on linguistic and
cultural minorities in the European Community, February 1994, A3-0042/94,
Resolution in favour of minority languages and cultures, February 1983,
Resolution on the languages and cultures of regional and ethnic minorities
in the European Community and some other. I am looking for these documents
in the form of computer files to place them on the web but haven't managed
to get them so far. BTW, maybe somebody can help? Generally, it seems that
within the EU only the European parliament expresses some interest to the
minorities problems, not "executive" bodies. Do you agree, Ivan?
Boris
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