Sveriges Rapport Till Europarådet
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Government Offices of Sweden Sweden’s report to the Council of Europe on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages presented in accordance with Article 15 of the Charter, fourth Periodical Report 2 Foreword During 2009 Sweden adopted a new strategy for minority policy in order to attain the minority policy objectives in a more efficient manner and to secure the possibility for national minorities to retain their individuality, culture and language. The strategy was presented in the government bill From Recognition to Empowerment – the Government’s Strategy for the National Minorities (bill 2008/09:158). It was established in the bill that the measures which were taken in conjunction with Sweden’s ratification of the Council of Europe minority conventions need to be supplemented and the level of ambition must be increased. Consequently the commitments towards the national minorities have been expressed in concrete terms and the special position of the national minorities in the Swedish society has been clarified so that decision-makers and officials at various levels within society can acquire deeper knowledge and understanding of Sweden’s international obligations and to ensure that the decisions which are taken fulfil these obligations. The government’s overall strategy for minority policy also highlights the preservation perspective and the need to increase the participation of national minorities. The national minorities need to be equipped with better tools which allow them to assimilate, develop, preserve and reclaim their languages. A great deal of work remains at a central and local level before the strategy for minority policy achieves its full impact. I hope that the work which is now underway will strengthen the empowerment of the national minorities and thereby provide them with better conditions to shape their own future. Sweden hereby submits its fourth report on the measures which have been taken up until 1 September 2010 in order to fulfil the commitments in accordance with the Council of Europe’s Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The report has been set out and the answers given in accordance with the instructions specified by the Council of Europe in its guidelines. The report discusses the measures implemented and the changes that have occurred since Sweden submitted its last report, but also tries to reply to the comments made and questions asked by the Council of Europe in its reports about Sweden. An account of the measures implemented is given article by article. Stockholm, September 2010 Nyamko Sabuni Minister responsible for Sweden’s policy on national minorities 3 Table of contents PART I ........................................................................................................................................ 5 PART II..................................................................................................................................... 26 PART III ................................................................................................................................... 41 Languages: SAMI, FINNISH and MEÄNKIELI....................................................................... 41 Article 8 – Education........................................................................................................ 42 Article 9 – The legal system............................................................................................. 55 Article 10 – Administrative authorities and public services ........................................ 59 Article 11 – Media ............................................................................................................ 62 Article 12 – Cultural activities and facilities.................................................................. 65 Article 13 – Economic and social life.............................................................................. 69 Article 14 – Transfrontier exchange............................................................................... 69 APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................... 70 Appendix 1 – Ratified Articles in the Charter............................................................................ 70 Appendix 2 – National Legislation ............................................................................................ 72 Act (2009:724) on National Minorities and National Minority Languages............................... 72 Language Act (2009:600)........................................................................................................... 77 Discrimination Act (2008:567) .................................................................................................. 79 Social Services Act (2001:453)................................................................................................ 103 Law on System of Choice in the Public Sector (2008:962) ..................................................... 104 Heritage Conservation Act (1988:950) etc............................................................................... 111 Sami Parliament Act (1992:1433)............................................................................................ 112 Compulsory School Ordinance (1994:1194)............................................................................ 112 Education Act (2010:800) ........................................................................................................ 114 The Health and Medical Service Act (1982:763)..................................................................... 115 4 PART I Introductory comments Sweden’s fourth report to the Council of Europe on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, submitted in accordance with Article 15 of the Charter, adheres to the revised outline for periodical reports which was adopted by the Committee of Ministers during the 1056th meeting on 6 May 2009. Special attention has been given to the issues highlighted by the Committee of Experts in its third evaluation report ECRML (2009) 3. The government has chosen presentation option B for presenting part IIT. In order to avoid repeating information provided in previous reports, the government has chosen to refer to the third report for obligations which have not witnessed any relevant changes. The same applies to the obligations which in its report the Committee of Experts did not consider to require a revised assessment or another account on the implementation. A new strategy for minority policy In June 2009 the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) adopted the bill From Recognition to Empowerment – the Government’s Strategy for the National Minorities (Government Bill 2008/09:158, Committee Report 2008/09:KU23, Government Communication 2008/09:272). The new strategy was implemented in January 2010. The strategy contains measures for: • ensuring stricter adherence to the Council of Europe’s charter on minorities, • improved follow-up of the implementation of minority policy, • combating discrimination against and the vulnerability of the national minorities, • strengthening the empowerment and influence of national minorities, as well as • supporting the preservation of the national minority languages. The judicial regulation of the rights of the national minorities has been clarified by means of the new Act (2009:724) on National Minorities and National Minority Languages. The Act entered into force on 1 January 2010 and applies nationwide. Further information on the Act can be found below. Based on experience it can be stated that the recognition of the national minorities, which was determined by the Riksdag in December 1999 has not been accompanied by sufficient resolute measures in order to allow the national minorities to derive maximum benefit of their rights. Several areas warrant improvement. According to the Government, the goals of the Swedish minority policy must be increased considerably. It involves, inter 5 alia, creating a structure which allows the minority policy to be realised in a more efficient manner. An important premise concerning the reformation efforts has been the strengthening of the empowerment of the national minorities and the prerequisites which are necessary to preserve and revitalise their language and culture. As of 2010 the budget for minority policy has been increased to approximately SEK 80 million per year. The previous budget was set at SEK 10 million per year. Combating discrimination, negative attitudes and vulnerability The new Discrimination Act (2008:567), which replaced the previous seven Discrimination Acts, provides the Equality Ombudsman (DO) with the necessary prerequisites to continue to promote equal rights and opportunities for national minorities, by among other things increasing the awareness of discriminatory issues among these groups. In the strategy for minority policy the government has stated that the work initiated by the Equality Ombudsman to support national minorities should continue. The strategy has also established that the methodological work managed by the Delegation for Roma Issues aimed at improving the situation of the Roma and combating their vulnerability in the Swedish society needs to continue after the Delegation has concluded its work. The County Administrative Board in the County of Stockholm is working on the issue while the Government Offices of Sweden prepare the proposal. The delegation presented its commission on 30 July 2010