3rd Report of the Republic of Austria pursuant to Article 15 (1 ) of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages Vienna, July 2011 Publisher’ information: Media owner, publisher and editor: Federal Chancellery, Constitutional Service Ballhausplatz 2, 1014 Vienna, Austria Project managed by Department V/6 Vienna, 2011 Copies of excerpts are only permitted when indicating the source. All other rights reserved. Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................... 7 I Part I ..................................................................................................... 9 I.1 The Minority Languages Spoken in Austria ............................................................. 9 I.2 Current Political Developments ............................................................................. 10 I.3 Legal Sources ........................................................................................................ 13 I.4 Taking Account of the Recommendations by the Committee of Ministers ............ 15 I.4.1 Comments on Recommendation No. 1 .................................................................... 15 I.4.2 Comments on Recommendation No. 2 .................................................................... 19 I.4.3 Comments on Recommendation No. 3 .................................................................... 19 I.4.4 Comments on Recommendation No. 4 .................................................................... 20 I.4.5 Comments on Recommendation No. 5 .................................................................... 21 3rd Periodical Report - Austria 3 Table of Contents II Language Protection acc. to Part II of the Charter ....................... 25 II.1 Recognition of Regional or Minority Languages (Article 7 (1) a)) ......................... 26 II.2 Respect of the Geographical Area (Article 7 (1) b)) .............................................. 28 II.3 Resolute Action to Promote Regional and Minority Languages (Article 7 (1) c)) ........................................................................................................................... 29 II.4 Facilitation of the Use of the Minority Languages (Article 7 (1) d)) ....................... 33 II.5 Maintenance and Development of Links (Article 7 (1) e)) ..................................... 37 II.6 Teaching and Learning the Regional or Minority Languages (Article 7 (1) f), g), h))...................................................................................................................... 38 II.7 Transnational Exchanges (Article 7 (1) i)) ............................................................. 54 II.8 Elimination of Discrimination (Article 7 (2)) ............................................................ 54 II.9 Promoting Respect and Understanding between the Linguistic Groups in a Country (Article 7 (3)) ............................................................................................ 56 II.10 Taking into Consideration the Needs Expressed Encouraging the Establishment of Bodies (Article 7 (4)) .................................................................. 59 II.11 Non-Territorial Languages (Article 7 (5)) ............................................................... 59 III Language Protection acc. to Part III of the Charter ...................... 60 III.1 Burgenland-Croatian in the Burgenland-Croatian Language Region of the Federal Province of Burgenland ............................................................................ 60 III.1.1 Article 8 Education .................................................................................................... 60 III.1.2 Article 9 Judicial Authorities ...................................................................................... 75 III.1.3 Article 10 Administrative authorities and public services ......................................... 77 III.1.4 Article 11 Media ........................................................................................................ 82 III.1.5 Article 12 Cultural Activities and Facilities ................................................................ 90 III.1.6 Article 13 Economic and social life ........................................................................... 92 III.1.7 Article 14 Transfrontier exchanges........................................................................... 92 III.2 Slovene in the Slovene language area of the Federal Province of Carinthia ........ 94 III.2.1 Article 8 Education .................................................................................................... 94 III.2.2 Article 9 Judicial authorities .................................................................................... 114 III.2.3 Article 10 Administrative authorities and public services ....................................... 118 III.2.4 Article 11 Media ...................................................................................................... 122 III.2.5 Article 12 Cultural activities and facilities ............................................................... 130 III.2.6 Article 13 Economic and social life ......................................................................... 132 3rd Periodical Report - Austria 4 Table of Contents III.2.7 Article 14 Transfrontier exchanges......................................................................... 134 III.3 Hungarian in the Hungarian Language Region of the Federal Province of Burgenland ........................................................................................................... 139 III.3.1 Article 8 Education .................................................................................................. 139 III.3.2 Article 9 Judicial authorities .................................................................................... 157 III.3.3 Article 10 Administrative authorities and public services ....................................... 159 III.3.4 Article 11 Media ...................................................................................................... 163 III.3.5 Article 12 Cultural activities and facilities ............................................................... 169 III.3.6 Article 14 Transfrontier exchanges......................................................................... 176 III.4 The Czech Language in the Federal Province of Vienna .................................... 178 III.4.1 Article 8 Education .................................................................................................. 178 III.4.2 Article 11 Media ...................................................................................................... 181 III.4.3 Article 12 Cultural activities and facilities ............................................................... 183 III.4.4 Article 14 Transfrontier exchanges......................................................................... 184 III.5 The Slovak Language in the Federal Province of Vienna ................................... 185 III.5.1 Article 8 Education .................................................................................................. 185 III.5.2 Article 11 Media ...................................................................................................... 186 III.5.3 Article 12 Cultural activities and facilities ............................................................... 187 III.5.4 Article 14 Transfrontier exchanges......................................................................... 189 III.6 The Romany Language in the Federal Province of Burgenland ......................... 190 III.6.1 Article 11 Media ...................................................................................................... 193 III.6.2 Article 12 Cultural activities and facilities ............................................................... 196 III.6.3 Article 14 Transfrontier exchanges......................................................................... 197 III.7 The Slovene Language in the Federal Province of Styria ................................... 199 III.7.1 Article 8 Education .................................................................................................. 199 III.7.2 Article 11 Media ...................................................................................................... 201 III.7.3 Article 12 Cultural activities and facilities ............................................................... 204 III.7.4 Article 13 Economic and social life ......................................................................... 206 III.7.5 Article 14 Transfrontier exchanges......................................................................... 207 III.8 The Hungarian Language in the Federal Province of Vienna ............................. 208 III.8.1 Article 8 Education .................................................................................................. 208 III.8.2 Article 11 Media ...................................................................................................... 210 III.8.3 Article 12 Cultural activities and facilities ............................................................... 211 III.8.4 Article 13 Economic and social life ......................................................................... 213 III.8.5 Article 14 Transfrontier exchanges......................................................................... 213 3rd Periodical Report