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THE INTERGROUP ISSUES A CRITICAL REPORT ON THE CONDITIONS OF THE SLOVENIAN MINORITIES IN AUSTRIA AND ITALY
September 2005 - On the meeting of 7th of July 2005 the Intergroup for Traditional National Minorities, Constitutional Regions and Regional Languages examined the situation of the Slovenian minorities in Austria and Italy and adopted a recommendation on the Slovenian minorities in Austria and Italy.
The recommendation outlines the fact that Slovenian minorities feel affected by discrimination in the fields of education, culture and in their linguistic rights in Italy and Austria, and also that the implementation of the rights of the Slovene minority in Austria granted by article 7 of the State Treaty of Vienna continues to be obstructed and delayed. Moreover, in accordance with the text, Austria has still to implement the decisions of the Constitutional Court of 2000 and 2001, regarding the use of bilingual topographic signs and limitations on the use of Slovenian in courts, administration and other authorities in the province of Carinthia.
In the recommendation, the Intergroup for Traditional National Minorities, Constitutional Regions and Regional Languages called on the Government of Austria to implement the decisions of the Austrian Constitutional Court “without any further delay”; it also urged Italy and Austria to help “reversing the worrying assimilation and emigration process of their Slovenian minorities”. Referring to education, it called on these two countries “to grant sufficient rights and resources for bilingual pre-school, primary and secondary education”.
Finally, the recommendation also referred to the procedure of ratification of the Council of Europe’s European Charter for Regional or Minority Language to be concluded by Italy. Moreover, it called the authorities in Italy and Austria to fulfill their responsibility for the protection of the minorities under the prevailing domestic law and international duties under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.
Related links ...
Bulletin 57: Resolution on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Austria
State Treaty on the reestablishment of independent Austria de May 15th, 1955 (art.7) (in French)
MERCATOR: Bulletin 52: Resolution on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Italy
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