Doc. 9958

6 October 2003

Protection of national minorities in Latvia

Written question No 438 to the Committee of Ministers

presented by Mr Korobeynikov

      Taking into account that Latvian laws contain numerous restrictions on the use of the minority languages including prohibition for minority population to communicate in the mother tongue with the local authorities even in the areas of the compact residence of persons belonging to national minorities and the adoption by the Latvian authorities of legal acts which deprive children of the right to receive education in the native languages of minorities,

      Mr Korobeynikov

      To ask the Committee of Ministers,

      Whether in the opinion of the Committee of Ministers and the Venice Commission the relevant legal acts and policies correspond to the Council of Europe standards in the area of national minorities protection and what measures including expertise of legislation and advice would be taken by the Committee to ameliorate the situation.

Signed ¹:

Korobeynikov, Russia, SOC

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group