State Report Austria
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June 2000 ACFC_SR(2000)003 Report by the Republic of Austria pursuant to Article 25 paragraph 1 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities ______ Vienna, 30 June 2000 ______ ACFC_SR(2000)003 - 2 - Table of contents PART I: General Remarks............................................................................................................... 3 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 3 2. The legal situation...................................................................................................................... 12 2.1. Constitutional provisions........................................................................................................ 12 2.2. Simple law provisions ............................................................................................................ 13 2.3. Case-law ................................................................................................................................. 13 PART II: As to the individual provisions of the Framework Convention..................................... 14 Section I......................................................................................................................................... 14 Article 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Article 2 ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Article 3 ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Section II........................................................................................................................................ 16 Article 4 ......................................................................................................................................... 16 Article 5 ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Article 6 ......................................................................................................................................... 28 Article 7 ......................................................................................................................................... 30 Article 8 ......................................................................................................................................... 31 Article 9 ......................................................................................................................................... 32 Article 10 ....................................................................................................................................... 38 Article 11 ....................................................................................................................................... 41 Article 12 ....................................................................................................................................... 43 Article 14 ....................................................................................................................................... 43 Article 13 ....................................................................................................................................... 72 Article 15 ....................................................................................................................................... 73 Article 16 ....................................................................................................................................... 77 Article 17 ....................................................................................................................................... 78 Article 19 ....................................................................................................................................... 78 Article 18 ....................................................................................................................................... 79 PART III: Outlook ......................................................................................................................... 80 * * * ACFC_SR(2000)003 - 3 - PART I: General Remarks 1. Introduction The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe was ratified by Austria on 31 March 1998 and, in accordance with Article 28 para. 1, entered into force on 1 July 1998. Under Article 25 para. 1, the present report is to provide comprehensive information on the situation of the minorities in Austria. In doing so reference is made in compliance with the requirements set out by the Council of Europe on 24 March 1998 to the individual Articles of the Framework Convention. Austria believes that the variety of minorities living on its territory benefits society as a whole. Under Section 1 para. 2 of the Minorities Act (Volksgruppengesetz), national minorities (Volksgruppen) are defined as "groups of Austrian nationals living and residing in parts of the federal territory whose mother tongue is not German and who have their own traditions and folklore". The Act does not say which groups fulfil these requirements and are thus recognised as national minorities. In order to answer this question, we must look into a number of ordinance regulations, in particular the Ordinance governing the Advisory Councils for National Minorities (Volksgruppenbeiräte). The requirements of Section 1 para. 2 are considered to be fulfilled for the following national minorities: - the Croat minority in Burgenland - the Slovene minority - the Hungarian minority - the Czech minority - the Slovak minority - the Roma minority As regards the "recognition" process in practice, see our comments to Article 15. The term "Volksgruppe", which is now widely used in Austria and in international meetings and discussions, was chosen in 1976 primarily for the purpose of avoiding the so far common term "Minderheit", which was often considered to have a somewhat discriminatory tinge. Although this term was introduced into the Austrian legal system by the Treaty of St. Germain, State Law Gazette No. 303/1920 (Article 62 et seqq.), and is also to be found in the State Treaty for the Re- establishment of an Independent and Democratic Austria, Federal Law Gazette No. 152/1955 (Article 7), we nevertheless speak of "Volksgruppen" as this is now the common legal expression in Austria*. However, replacing an apparently outdated expression by a modern and more common one, will certainly not alter Austria's above-mentioned international obligations. * In the English text, the term "national minorities" is used in compliance with the wording of the Framework Convention. ACFC_SR(2000)003 - 4 - On 24 June 1997, the Austrian minorities submitted to the Federal Government and the Nationalrat (the lower house of the Austrian Parliament) a memoradum under the motto "For a Variety in our Country". The memorandum contains a general statement as well as a comprehensive catalogue of demands concerning Austria's minority policy. A major demand is the "adoption of a provision of constitutional standing that defines the pertinent aims of the State and contains a commitment by the Republic of Austria to its cultural, linguistic and ethnic variety which has evolved in the course of time". Such a special provision has already been approved by the competent Human Rights Committee in Parliament and will be adopted by the Nationalrat on 7 July 2000 (for further details see our comments to Article 4, para. 2). The provision is to enter into force on 1 August 2000. The Croat minority in Burgenland More than 450 years ago, Croats settled in what was then Western Hungary (and today comprises the Burgenland, the border region of Western Hungary, parts of Lower Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic). After 1848 the development of a Croat sense of identity became apparent. The fact that many people in Burgenland commute to Vienna every day or week, a development which started as early as between the two World Wars, and the increasing exodus from these areas have encouraged assimilation tendencies among many Croats. In order to counteract the danger of losing their identity in a city as big as Vienna, the "Croatian-Burgenland Cultural Association in Vienna" (Kroatisch-Burgenländischer Kulturverein in Wien) was established in 1934, and - like the Vienna-based "Croatian Club of Academics" (Kroatischer Akademikerklub) - has been able to increase its influence in the last few decades and has been given a say in matters concerning the Burgenland-Croats. It was at a very early stage that the Croats embarked on the path of integration and did so in every respect, be in the social, economic, professional and political fields. This enabled them to implement many measures required for preserving and cultivating their language and culture. Since the Seventies, more and more Croats, in particular young students, are becoming aware of their own identity, and since the Eighties, this has gradually and considerably improved their linguistic and cultural situation and has led to a strengthening of the Croat identity. Today, around 30,000 Croats live in approximately 50 places in Burgenland,