Doc. 10726

17 October 2005

Violation of the human rights of the Romanian ethnic minority in Serbia

Motion for a resolution

presented by Mr Cubreacov and others

Considering its rapporteurs' periodic reports for Serbia and Montenegro on the functioning of democratic institutions in that country;

Observing that the Romanian ethnic minority inhabits 39 ethnic Romanian or mixed localities in the province of Vojvodina and 154 ethnic Romanian localities and 48 mixed localities between the Danube, the Timok and the Morava (eastern Serbia);

Regretting that Serbia applies double standards by creating an artificial separation between the Romanians of Vojvodina and the Romanians of eastern Serbia by refusing to recognise the latter group's self-designated ethnic identification (Romanians) and imposing the ethnic tag of "Vlachs" on them;

Noting that since 1833 the Romanians of eastern Serbia have not been able to enjoy the most rudimentary ethnic rights in schools and churches, owing to the refusal of the Serbian State and the Serbian Orthodox Church to accept the Romanian language in those institutions;

Noting the escalation of xenophobic acts and persecution on the part of Serbia's civil and ecclesiastical authorities towards Romanian Orthodox parishes of the Dacia Ripensis diaconate of the Romanian Historic Diocese for Serbia and Montenegro, as well as the administrative decisions concerning the dismantling of new churches built by the Romanian community in eastern Serbia;

Finding that this situation does not comply with the norms and standards of the Council of Europe,

The Assembly,

Invites the authorities of Serbia and Montenegro to guarantee respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of members of the Romanian ethnic minority in eastern Serbia as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and particularly their linguistic, cultural and religious rights, including in state schools and churches, along the lines of the model operating in Vojvodina;

Asks the Serbian Government to respect the right of the Romanians of eastern Serbia to designate their own ethnic identity in accordance with the principles of the Council of Europe;

Urges the Serbian authorities concerned to cease proceedings against church-goers and clergymen freely associated with the Romanian Orthodox Church in Serbia and their communities;

Instructs its competent committee to place on the agenda of its next visit to Serbia and Montenegro a meeting with the representatives of the Romanians in eastern Serbia and closely monitor developments regarding this issue.

Signed ¹:

CUBREACOV, Vlad, Moldova, EPP/CD

ALITI, Rafis, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", SOC

BRANGER, Jean-Guy, France, EPP/CD

CILEVIČS, Boriss, Latvia, SOC

de ZULUETA, Tana, Italy, SOC

DIACOV, Dumitru, Moldova, NR

GEDEI, József, Hungary, SOC

ILAŞCU, Ilie, Romania, NR

LEAHU, Angela, Moldova, EPP/CD

NAKASHIDZÉ, Nino, Georgia, ALDE

STĂNOIU, Rodica Mihaela, Romania, SOC

SZALAY, Gábor, Hungariy ALDE

VAREIKIS, Egidijus, Lithuania, EPP/CD

WIELOWIEYSKI, Andrzej, Poland, EPP/CD

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

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

      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group