Fourth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany
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Strasbourg, 11 March 2014 ACFC/SR/IV(2014)004 FOURTH REPORT SUBMITTED BY GERMANY PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 25, PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES Received on 11 March 2014 ……. +BMI Fourth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 25 (2) of the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities 2014 2 3 Table of contents A. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 5 B. Accompanying measures .................................................................................... 6 C. Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers ............................................... 7 I. General Equal Treatment Act (recommendation 1)........................................ 7 II. Fight against racism (recommendation 2) .....................................................10 III. The situation of German Sinti and Roma (recommendation 3) .....................23 IV. Statistical data (recommendation 4) ..............................................................32 V. Extending the scope of the Framework Convention (recommendation 5) .....33 VI. Preserving the cultural heritage (recommendation 6) ...................................34 VII. Distribution of responsibilities (recommendation 7).......................................35 VIII. Lignite mining operations (recommendation 8) .............................................36 IX. Measures to improve the general public's awareness (recommendation 9)..38 X. Minority Languages in the Media (recommendation 10) ...............................43 XI. Legislation concerning minority names (recommendation 11) ......................46 XII. Minority languages in public life (recommendation 12) .................................48 XIII. Educational system (recommendation 13) ....................................................51 XIV. Participation in public life (recommendation 14) ...........................................55 D. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee ...................................................58 I. Article 3 .........................................................................................................58 Scope of application of the Framework Convention.................................58 II. Article 4 .........................................................................................................60 Combating discrimination ........................................................................60 Gathering of data on ethnic origin ............................................................61 Gathering of data by the police ................................................................61 III. Article 5 .........................................................................................................61 Support for the preservation and development of national minority languages and cultures ............................................................................61 Institutional framework of support policies for national minorities ............61 Impact of lignite mining on the preservation of Sorbian language and culture ......................................................................................................62 IV. Article 6 .........................................................................................................62 Promotion of tolerance and intercultural dialogue ....................................62 Fight against racism .................................................................................63 4 The media and the fight against racism ...................................................63 V. Article 9 .........................................................................................................64 Access of persons belonging to the Danish minority to the media ...........64 Access of persons belonging to the Frisian minority to the media ...........65 Representation of minorities in media regulatory bodies .........................66 VI. Article 10 .......................................................................................................67 Using Sorbian in dealings with local administrative authorities ................67 Using Danish in dealings with local administrative authorities .................68 Using Frisian in dealings with local administrative authorities .................68 VII. Article 11 .......................................................................................................68 Use of minority languages for surnames .................................................68 Bilingual topographical signposting and indications .................................68 VIII. Article 12 ..............................................................................................70 Roma and Sinti in the education system ..................................................70 Teacher training and school curricula ......................................................72 IX. Article 13 .......................................................................................................77 Network of Danish minority schools .........................................................77 X. Article 14 .......................................................................................................78 Teaching in Sorbian .................................................................................78 Teaching of Frisian ..................................................................................79 Teaching of Romani .................................................................................81 XI. Article 15 .......................................................................................................83 Participation in social and economic life by the Roma and Sinti ..............83 Consultation of national minorities at federal level ...................................84 XII. Article 18 .......................................................................................................84 Cooperation with neighbouring countries .................................................84 E. Comments by the associations ...........................................................................86 F. Concluding remarks..........................................................................................113 5 A. Introduction The Fourth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 25 (2) of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities was prepared by the Federal Ministry of the Interior in cooperation with other federal agencies and the re- sponsible state authorities, and in consultation with the associations of the national mi- norities protected by the Framework Convention. The associations were invited to share their views about the implementation of the Framework Convention in Germany, which are not necessarily in line with those of the authorities. Their written comments are in- cluded in Chapter E. of the present report. This report covers the period from February 2009 to December 2013. The German original and an English translation of the three preceding reports of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 25 (2) of the Framework Con- vention, the subsequent comments of the Advisory Committee and the comments of the Federal Government are available on the website of the Council of Europe. 6 B. Accompanying measures In order to draw the attention of a broad audience to national minorities and their lan- guages, the Federal Ministry of the Interior published a new brochure on national minori- ties and the languages spoken by them in 2013. Since December 2012, an electronic version of this brochure can be downloaded from the Federal Interior Ministry's website. The printed version was made available in February 2013. Every year in early May Schleswig-Holstein hosts the European Week of Regions and Cities, in which the Minister-President’s Commissioner for National Minorities and Ethnic Groups, Border Area Work and Low German attends events where national minority pol- icy issues and the interaction between minority-related conventions and legislation at European, national and regional level are discussed. The Commissioner also informs students, scholarship recipients and junior police and administrative staff about Schles- wig-Holstein's government minority policy. In its report Schleswig-Holstein also mentioned an international expert conference, which was open to the public, and an expert workshop with the title "Shaping the Frame across the Cycles" which were organized by the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) in Flensburg on 5 and 6 July. The conference focused on academic and practical aspects of reporting in accordance with the Framework Convention. With a view to optimizing Sorbian language classes, especially bilingual instruction in Brandenburg, it is intended to commission a scientific study on Sorbian language clas- ses and bilingual instruction at primary school level. Based on the results of this study, classes and framework conditions could hopefully be improved. The authorities expect that such an evaluation and improvement of education opportunities and classes held in Sorbian will also raise awareness among the broader public. A similar effect is expected of the re-enactment of the Act Amending the Regulations on the Rights of Sorbs in Brandenburg planned by the Landtag. The government believes