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Parliamentary question - E-005015/2017Parliamentary question
E-005015/2017

Anti-regional language discrimination

Question for written answer E-005015-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Liadh Ní Riada (GUE/NGL) , Martina Anderson (GUE/NGL) , Matt Carthy (GUE/NGL) , Lynn Boylan (GUE/NGL)

In view of the fact that anti-regional language discrimination has been defined as a form of direct and indirect racism by the Council of Europe (see ECRI Recommendation 7), that in many circumstances language is the key component of ethnic origin, and that discrimination on the grounds of ethnic origin is covered by Article 19 of the TFEU:

When will the Commission, firstly, bring forward legislative proposals to address this form of racism and include anti-regional language discrimination as one of its discrimination criteria under Article 19 of the TFEU, and, secondly, include anti-regional language discrimination as a form of racism under the scope of the Race Equality Directive 2000/43/EC, along with proposals for punitive measures?

Considering that EU infringement proceedings have been launched against Slovakia and the Czech Republic concerning systemic discrimination against Roma children, a violation of the Race Equality Directive and Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of language, race, ethnicity and belonging to a national minority), the same systemic anti-regional language discrimination should also be addressed by the same use of EU infringement proceedings.

When will the Commission make anti-regional language discrimination, which is a form of ethnic discrimination, as grounds on which to launch EU infringement proceedings?