(A request to Romania’s Government)

During its meeting on the third of June this year, the Szekler National Council adopted a decision that they desire to make use of the EU citizens’ possibility to participate directly in European decision-making, provided by the treaty on the European Union. According to the treaty, “not less than one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of Member States may take the initiative of inviting the European Commission, within the framework of its powers, to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where citizens consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties”.

In accordance with the decision, the objective of the civil initiative launched by the Szekler National Council is to make the Union to recognize the right to self determination of its indigenous communities that preserve national characteristics and traditions, and own regional or national identities, and grant specific legal status to the regions they inhabit.

The Szekler National Council submitted the bill on the Autonomy of Szeklerland to the Romanian Parliament twice. The Romanian Authorities rejected the bill without debating it. Consequently, the Szekler National Council organized a referendum, occasion for 210.000 inhabitants of Szeklerland to say yes to Szeklerland’s autonomy, but the state authorities refused to pay attention to the will of the region’s community, the majority of Szeklerland’s population, the Szekler people.

Following these events, in 2008, we made the decision to initiate the creation of the EU level legal conditions of Szeklerland’s autonomy, to seek out the inhabitants of European regions who share our fate, preserving their national characteristics and historical traditions, so that through our alliance, our cooperation, the collective rights of the inhabitants of these regions may be treated as a matter of EU law. This June, we made the decision to make use of the possibility of citizens’ initiative, provided by the Lisbon Treaty.

However, in order to be able to make use of the right to citizens’ initiative in Romania from the first of April 2012 onward, it is essential that the country’s authorities have to take the proper measures.

We would like to remind the Romanian Government, and in particular, Prime Minister Emil Boc, that the regulation 211/2011 of the European Parliament and Council, on citizens’ initiative is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. “Each Member State shall designate one competent authority responsible for coordinating the process of verification of statements of support and for delivering the certificates provided for therein. Not later than 1 March 2012, Member States shall forward the names and addresses of the competent authorities to the Commission. The Commission shall make the list of competent authorities publicly available.”

We request and urge the Government of Romania, we request Prime Minister Emil Boc, to take the necessary and mandatory measures, respecting the deadlines, so the regulation 211/2011 on citizens’ initiative can be made applicable in Romania.

Sepsiszentgyörgy (Sfantu Gheorghe),

September the 17th 2011.

Standing Committee of the Szekler National Council

Izsák Balázs, president