Press Release: Citizens' Initiative Minority SafePack - A Communication from the European Commission

21 January 2021

 

Emphasis is put on the 14^th January 2021 - C(2021) 171 final - COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION on the European Citizens' Initiative 'Minority SafePack – one million signatures for diversity in Europe' 

This Communication is a response to the Minority SafePack Initiative, which has collected one million signatures for diversity in Europe. The Minority SafePack is the fifth European Citizens’ Initiative to have met the requirements set out in the European Citizens’ Initiative Regulation.

The proposals made by the European Commission may be of interest to the European library community and EBLIDA Members who are committed to national and linguistic minorities – a population equal to 50 million citizens in Europe.

The following nine proposals made by the European Commission may provide for interesting hints related to projects under the European Structural and Investment Funds 2021-2027 and Horizon 2020, as well as for initiatives dealing with copyright:

1. Council recommendation for the protection and promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity in the Union. 
 
2. A decision or a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, the subject matter of which is to adapt ‘funding programmes so that they become accessible for small regional and minority language communities’.
 
3. A decision or a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, the subject matter of which is to create a centre for linguistic diversity that will strengthen awareness of the importance of regional and minority languages and will promote diversity at all levels and be financed mainly by the European Union. 
 
4. A regulation adapting the general rules applicable to the tasks, priority objectives and the organisation of the Structural Funds in such a way that account is taken of the protection of minorities and the promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity provided that the actions to be financed lead to the strengthening of the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the Union. 
 
5. A regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, the subject matter of which is to change the regulation relating to the ‘Horizon 2020’ programme for the purposes of improving research on the added value that national minorities and cultural and linguistic diversity may bring to social and economic development in regions of the EU.
 
6. The amendment of EU legislation in order to guarantee approximately equal treatment for stateless persons and citizens of the Union. 
 
7. A regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, in order to introduce a unitary copyright so that the whole EU can be considered an internal market in the field of copyright. 
 
8. An amendment of Directive 2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2010 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services, for the purpose of ensuring the freedom to provide services and the reception of audiovisual content in regions where national minorities reside. 
 
9. A Council regulation or decision, with a view to the block exemption of projects promoting national minorities and their culture from the procedure provided for in Article 108(2) TFEU. 

< back to overview