"European Union policymaking in candidate states: Legislating minority rights in the Czech Republic and Romania"

Ram, Melanie H. (2001) "European Union policymaking in candidate states: Legislating minority rights in the Czech Republic and Romania" . In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 2001 (7th), May 31-June 2, 2001, pages 32, Madison, Wisconsin.

Abstract

In the following pages, I will assess if and how the EU has generated the protection of minority rights in candidate states, using the Czech Republic and Romania as case studies. Based on interviews, press reports, government statements, and public records, I examine the EU impact on the development of institutions, the context of legislation, the timing of reforms, and the process and character of domestic debate. Focusing on the citizenship law and the Roma in the Czech Republic and language legislation and ethnic Hungarians in Romania, I consider two of the issues that have raised the most controversy in these countries. If analogous EU requirements and expectations have similarly affected the domestic reform processes of two diverse candidate states in the field of minority rights, results should have broad application to less contentious issues and to other CEE countries with Europe Agreements. Moreover, the findings may have implications for other countries that hope to join the EU and possibly for other regions with strong regional organizations.