Strasbourg, 28 April 2010 ACFC/SR/III(2010)007 THIRD REPORT SUBMITTED BY SLOVENIA PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 25, PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES Received on 28 April 2010 Table of contents: Introduction…………………………………………………………………….. 1 Practical measures following second monitoring cycle………………………... 2-4 Measures for the improvement of implementation of the FC………………….. 4-13 Articles 1-3……………………………………………………………………... 13 Article 4………………………………………………………………………… 13-25 Article 5………………………………………………………………………… 25-30 Article 6………………………………………………………………………… 30-38 Articles 7-8……………………………………………………………………... 38-44 Article 9………………………………………………………………………… 44-51 Article 10……………………………………………………………………….. 51-53 Article 11……………………………………………………………………….. 53 Article 12……………………………………………………………………….. 53-56 Article 13……………………………………………………………………….. 56 Article 14……………………………………………………………………….. 56-72 Article 15……………………………………………………………………….. 72-75 Article 17……………………………………………………………………….. 75-76 Article 18……………………………………………………………………….. 76-77 Annex 1…………………………………………………………………………. 78 Annex 2…………………………………………………………………………. 78-79 Annex 3…………………………………………………………………………. 81-86 2 Third Periodic Report of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia on the Implementation of the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe for the Protection of National Minorities in the Republic of Slovenia Introduction The Framework Convention of the Council of Europe for the Protection of National Minorities (hereinafter referred to as the Framework Convention), which entered into force on 1 February 1998, is one of the most comprehensive treaties designed to protect the rights of members of national minorities. Parties to this Convention undertake to promote the full and effective equality of persons belonging to minorities in all areas of economic, social, political and cultural life, together with the conditions that will allow them to express, preserve and develop their culture and identity. The Republic of Slovenia ratified the Framework Convention on 25 February 1998. The Convention contains no definition of the concept of national minority. Therefore, each State Party is left room to decide which ethnic groups are to be given the status of national minorities as defined by the Convention within their respective territories. Upon ratifying the Framework Convention, the Republic of Slovenia, in compliance with the Constitution and its national legislation, declared in writing that the autochthonous Italian and Hungarian national communities in Slovenia are regarded as national minorities. Insofar as this is not in contravention with the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia and other legislative acts (in conflict with the legal order), the norms in this Convention also apply to the members of the Roma community living in the Republic of Slovenia. The implementation of the Framework Convention in the Republic of Slovenia, aside from the competency areas of other bodies, falls under the overall responsibility of the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for National Minorities,1 in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. 1 The Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for National Minorities (Decision on the Organization and the Field of Work of the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for National Minorities, Ur. l. RS [Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia] No. 75/2002) is an independent professional service within the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, which monitors the implementation of the constitutional and statutory provisions relating to the special rights of members of the Italian and Hungarian national communities, and also monitors and provides for protection of special rights of the Roma community living in the Republic of Slovenia, unless this falls within the competence of other national or local authorities. The basic provisions on the protection of national communities are set out in the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, while more detailed provisions are included in the legislation regulating various areas that in any way relates to the situation of the national communities and the Roma community. The relevant ministries are responsible for the implementation of the provisions. With such a division of responsibilities, the main task of the Government Office for National Minorities is the overall monitoring of the implementation of legal and constitutional provisions on the protection of national communities and of their practical effects, drawing attention to deficiencies, drafting proposals and initiatives for the Government and other national authorities, and preparing analyses and reports on wider issues of the protection of national communities, together with the relevant ministries. In the field of minority issues, the Office for National Minorities also cooperates with international organizations (e.g. Council of Europe, European Union, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, civilian part of the NATO Pact). There are some responsibilities that are exclusively in the domain of the Office for National Minorities. These mainly include areas that are not within the competence of individual ministries (financing of umbrella organizations of the Italian and Hungarian national communities, co- financing of bilingualism and other constitutional rights in those municipalities where the two national communities live autochthonously, co-financing of the joint Italian cultural organizations residing in Croatia, co-financing of Italian and Hungarian radio and TV programmes; there are also some responsibilities regarding the traditionally/historically settled Roma community that lives in Slovenia, such as financing of the Roma umbrella organization, indirect co-financing of Roma associations all over the country and, finally, co-financing activities of providing information to Roma, including the media). 3 I. Practical measures taken at the national level for following up the results of the second monitoring cycle on the implementation of commitments under the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe for the Protection of National Minorities in the Republic of Slovenia. a. The Government Office for National Minorities maintains regular contact with the national communities (e.g. on the occasion of the signing of annual contracts on the co- financing of constitutional and other rights of the national communities, it visits municipalities and meets with representatives of local communities [mayors] and chairpersons of the municipal self-governing national communities). On such occasions, mayors and chairpersons present the needs of the national communities to be addressed. The Government Office for National Minorities maintains regular contact with the Roma community, participates in the events to which it receives an invitation from the Roma community, and is always open to talks and dialogue with representatives and members of the Roma community. This enables a fruitful exchange of opinions and, at the same time, provides an opportunity for the Roma community to express its opinion, needs, views or suggestions. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia maintains regular contact with representatives of other ethnic groups in the Republic of Slovenia.2 2 The legal basis (Article 61 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, Articles 8 and 65 of the Exercising of the Public Interest in Culture Act, the National Programme for Culture) in the field of culture is wider than that in other fields. Consequently, the Sector for Minority Cultural Rights and the Development of Cultural Diversity (hereinafter referred to as the Sector), which was set up in 2004 within the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, deals not only with minority ethnic groups recognised under the Constitution but also with other various ethnic groups operating in the Republic of Slovenia and co-shaping conditions for cultural diversity as a wealth of cultural life. The basic principle of the Sector’s activity is to create conditions for cultural diversity on an ethnic basis. In the Republic of Slovenia, the Framework Convention officially applies to national communities and the Roma community; there is, however, a concern also for cultural diversity in the broader sense, particularly based on the recommendations of the Council of Europe. Specific measures are also being implemented with regard to the German-speaking ethnic group. The Sector also attracted the representative bodies of the communities recognised under the Constitution, bearing in mind that the concern of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture is focused not only on the autochthonous members but on all members of the Roma community. The Sector is responsible for the implementation of three types of programmes on the basis of seven calls for applications and requests for proposals, and for all the strategic, legal, inter-ministerial, international and other matters relating to ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities. The Sector assisted in establishing a professional institute of the Italian national community; furthermore, a considerably larger number of applications filed by other ethnic groups was addressed due to a 100% increase in funds in 2005. The Sector received support from the Slovenian Ministry of Culture for certain initiatives which were also implemented: - An increase in funds; - A conceptual solution for a broader strategy in the area of minority protection