Strani pravni život (Jan 2020)
Status and rights of Serbs in Romania: Legislative solutions and their application
Abstract
The issue of minority rights of Serbs in Romania is important for the preservation of their national identity, presenting at the same time one of the essential dimensions of bilateral relations. The paper analyzes the relationship of Romania towards national minorities in the sphere of legislation and reviews the profile and scope of basic state institutions responsible for questions concerning the status and rights of national minorities. The author points that relatively satisfactory status of the Serbian community, better than in other countries in the region, has its origin in a good legal basis and the fact that Romania significantly adheres to key international documents in this field. The paper examines the extent to which the solutions of minority legislation are applied in practice when it comes to the rights of the Serbian community and concludes that those in some areas of real life are not fully respected. This indicates the need for further improvement of the position of the Serbian minority, requiring active role of the Union of Serbs in Romania, as its umbrella organization, but also the relevant authorities of the Republic of Serbia within the framework of the existing bilateral mechanisms.
