EFA Statement on the Commission’s Response to the Minority SafePack Initiative

On 14 January 2021, the European Commission decided not to initiate legal acts for the protection of national and linguistic minorities under the Minority SafePack European Citizen’s Initiative. EFA is disappointed by the Commission’s decision to turn their back on the 1,123,422 signatories who demanded legal protection for the approximately 50 million citizens of the Union who belong to national and linguistic minorities. 

By rejecting the Minority SafePack, the European Citizen’s initiative – the only instrument of participatory democracy of the EU – is discredited. It is extremely concerning that the Minority SafePack is the fifth successful initiative in a row to be rejected by the Commission, further separating EU legislators from the citizens they represent. For EFA it is fundamental that Europe accepts and includes all peoples in the decision-making process, so as to build a democratic Europe of peace, respect and solidarity. EFA has, and will continue, to call for a more inclusive and transparent democratic process within the EU. 

However, there is still hope for legal and policy protection for national and linguistic minorities. The Citizen’s Initiative for National Regions proposes a cohesion policy for the equality of EU regions and the sustainability of regional cultures. The initiative focuses on geographic areas with no administrative competencies, advocating for the preservation of economic, social and territorial cohesion that should be done in a way that ensures their characteristics remain unchanged.

You can find out more, and provide your signature, for the National Regions here.