FUEN logo

ABOUT THE FORUM

A "Europe of the regions" was the idea of the European Commission under its former president Jacques Delors: the aim was to promote the regions in the EU member states and support them in their regional autonomy. As part of this process of making the regions real actors in European politics, changes were made in the structural funding arrangements of the European Union. This has created new opportunities for regions to receive funding and participate in the EU policy process.

Within many EU states, the regions have been given more competences since the 1970s. The process of European integration, combined with decentralisation in many Member States, has given the regions tools for a more active role in the European Union. In order to increase their influence in Brussels, many regions have established networks.

In this context, the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) has launched the "Forum of European Minority Regions" - as a place for cooperation and networking. The goals: to increase the political weight of the individual regions and to exert a stronger influence on EU policy through a united appearance. In addition, the forum offers a space for exchange and analysis of the status quo with regard to minority rights and learning from best-practice examples.

Regional and minority languages are spoken by about 40 million people in Europe. It is precisely those regions where linguistic or ethnic autochthonous minorities live that strengthen European ties in a special way. Europe's minority regions form bridges between the Member States and play a decisive role in European integration.

Minorities contribute to the economic and social development of these regions. It is therefore no coincidence that some of these regions are among the wealthiest in Europe - South Tyrol, with the highest GDP per capita in Italy, or the Basque Country and Navarre, the richest regions in Spain, are good examples.

Why does FUEN organise the Forum of European Minority Regions?

"Talking Money – The added value of minority communities in cross-border regions"

The forum aims to provide regional authorities with a platform to highlight their minorities—not only to exchange best practices but also to raise awareness of challenges and instances of discrimination. At the same time, it consistently emphasizes the undeniable economic benefits that minorities bring, benefiting individuals, businesses, local communities, regions, countries, and the entire European Union. Investing in minorities yields significant returns, as the economic contributions they generate through trade and investment far exceed the costs. Experts in the field, including economists speaking at each forum, highlight the added value of minorities and their languages in key areas such as tourism, the labor market, digitalization, and, this year in Vojvodina, cross-border cooperation. 

The idea is to convince the majority population both in Serbia and elsewhere that our national minorities, their cultures and languages constitute this indisputable economic added value.

Minorities in cross-border regions often serve as a bridge between countries, enhancing trade and cultural ties between each other. A common language helps to establish contacts, which in turn contributes to investments. It makes commuting for work easier and promotes a common labour market across borders. Minorities in cross-border regions foster cultural exchange between countries, the understanding of the neighbour country and a peaceful co-existence.

Novi Sad/ Újvidék is the perfect location to organize the Forum of the European minority regions in cooperation with the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians.  17 languages are spoken in the city of which four are official of the administration. The region Vojvodina has six official languages and 25 ethnic minorities. They all contribute to economic growth and jobs in the region, also benefitting the whole country Serbia. Novi Sad/ Újvidék was the European capital of culture in 2022. The city hosts many important music and cultural festivals and became UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts in 2023. Four universities, several schools of vocational training and over 50.000 students contribute to a youthful spirit, and it comes as no surprise that Novi Sad/ Újvidék was designated European Youth capital in 2019.

Time:

The venue days in Novi Sad/ Újvidék would be on Friday the 27th of June and Saturday the 28th of June. We provide a shuttle service from Belgrade airport to the hotels in Novi Sad/ Újvidék. The trip on the four lane motorway takes about an hour.

Languages and interpretation:

We provide simultaneous interpretation between four languages; English, German, Hungarian and Serbian. On agreement, participants can also intervene in Croatian, Bosnian or Montenegrin.

Travel, accommodation, meals and excursion:

We would kindly ask you to arrange your travel and accommodation yourselves, since FUEN cannot unfortunately reimburse travel and accommodation costs. We do however offer all the meals during the conference and an excursion to beautiful Subotica/Szabadka, which is the centre of the Hungarian community in Serbia. By clicking on "info sheet for participants", you can find out more about the various hotel options

Info sheet for participants

REGISTRATION


Data Protection Agreement

SPEAKERS

Éva Adél Pénzes
Éva Adél Pénzes
FUEN General Secretary
Evgen Barn
Evgen Barn
Operational Secretary of the Union of Slovenian Sports Associations in Italy (ZSŠDI)
Dr. Georg Lun
Dr. Georg Lun
Director of WIFO - Economic Research Institute of the Bolzano Chamber of Commerce
Gösta Toft
Gösta Toft
Vice President of FUEN
Gyula Ocskay
Gyula Ocskay
Secretary general of the Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives (CESCI)
Ivan Budinčević
Ivan Budinčević
Member of the Sports Commission of the Croatian National Council in Serbia
Jason Heaton
Jason Heaton
Co-founder & President of Kernow Football Alliance
Dr. Jens Baumann
Dr. Jens Baumann
Commissioner for Expellees and Late Resettlers in the Free State of Saxony (Germany)
Juhász Bálint
Juhász Bálint
President of the Vojvodina Provincial Assembly
Julien Steinhauser
Julien Steinhauser
Journalist for the Alsatian daily newspapers
Ljubica Djordjević
Ljubica Djordjević
Senior Researcher and head of the cluster Justice and Governance at the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)
Marie Heguy-Urain
Marie Heguy-Urain
Euroregion, Project Manager for "Euroregional Citizenship" (Culture, Education, Youth, Sport, Multilingualism)
Maurizio Tremul
Maurizio Tremul
President of the Italian Union (UI)
Prof. Dr. Bálint Pásztor
Prof. Dr. Bálint Pásztor
President of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ)
Richard Máša
Richard Máša
Head of Operations Section II, EU Delegation to the Republic of Serbia
Tatjana Dragičević
Tatjana Dragičević
Sports Recreation Society of Serbs in Croatia
Usame Zukorlić
Usame Zukorlić
Minister for reconciliation, regional cooperation and social stability of the government of the Republic of Serbia
Željana Zovko
Željana Zovko
Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Human Rights (AFET) of the European Parliament
Zita Nagy
Zita Nagy
Executive Director of Prosperitati Foundation

DRAFT PROGRAM

Venue: the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Banovina Palace, Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 16, Vladike Platona, Novi Sad/ Újvidék, Serbia

around 7:00

Breakfast at the hotels

8:20

Registration of prticipants at the venue

9:00 - 10:00

Welcome by the local hosts.

  • on behalf of the Assembly, Mr Bálint Juhász, Speaker of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
  • On behalf of FUEN, Mr Loránt Vincze, Member of the European Parliament, President of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN)
  • On behalf of co-organiser VMSZ, Mr Bálint Pásztor, President of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungary and Member of the Serbian
  • On behalf of the city, Mr Žarko Mićin, Mayor of Novi Sad/Újvidék
  • On behalf of the Serbian government, Mr Usame Zukorlić, Minister for Reconciliation, Regional Cooperation and Social Stability of the Republic of Serbia
  • On behalf of the European Commission, Mr Richard Masa, Head of Operations Section II, EU Delegation to the Republic of Serbia

(Moderation: Mr Andor Sörös, president of the Youth Forum of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians)

10:00 - 10:15

Ms Zeljana Zovko, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Human Rights (AFET) of the European Parliament

10:15 - 11:30

The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina - a model for cultural autonomy

  • Presentation of the cultural autonomy model of Vojvodina and its minorities:
    Ms Zsófia Rigó Pál, Deputy President of the National Council of the Hungarian National Minority 
  • Mr Michael Platz, President of the National Council of the German National Minority in Serbia
  • Ms Zorica Mitrovic, President of the National Council of the Macedonian National Minority in Serbia
  • Mr Mikel Irujo, Minister for Industrial Development of Navarre, Spain - Aquitaine, France

(moderation: Olivia Schubert, FUEN Vice President)

11:30 - 12:00

An introduction to the topic "Minorities and cross-border co-operation" 

  • Ms Ana Nikolov, Head of the Balkan office, Association of European Border Regions (AEBR)
  • Mr Gyula Ocskay, Secretary General of CESCI
12:00 - 13:30

Lunch

13:30 - 16:00

The economic added value of minority communities in cross-border regions

  • Ms Zita Nagy, Executive Director of Prosperitati Foundation Vojvodina, Serbia (possibly DMI in Serbia) (tbc)
  • Georg Lun, Director of the Economic Research Institute WIFO
  • Ms Sonja Wolf, Responsible for minorities, government of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
  • Mr Maurizio Tremul, President of Unione Italiana, Interreg project Italy-Croatia-Slovenia
  • Ms Marie Heguy-Urain, Nouvelle Aquitaine-Basque Country-Navarre
  • Mr Julien Steinhauser, Journalist, Alsace-Lorraine, France - Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Dr Jens Baumann, Commissioner for Expellees and Late Resettlers in the Free State of Saxony, Germany

Subsequent panel discussion

(Moderation: Mr Bernard Gaida, FUEN vice president)

16:00 - 19:00

Sightseeing and networking (Excursion to Subotica/ Szabadka)

19:00 - 21:00

Dinner (in Subotica/ Szabadka)

21:00

Bus journey back to Novi Sad/ Újvidék

around 7:00

Breakfast at the hotels

9:00 - 10:00

Integration perspectives - the role of minority communities in the EU  accession process

  • Ms Annamária Vicsek , Member of the European Parliament
  • Ms Ljubica Djordjević, Senior researcher on minority protection in EU accession countries, ECMI

(moderation by Mr Gösta Toft, FUEN Vice President)

 

10:00 - 10:30

coffee break

11:00 - 12:30

Sports and cross-border cooperation

  • Ms Tatjana Dragičević, Serbs from Croatia
  • Mr Evgen Ban, Slovenes in Italy
  • Mr Ivan Budincevic, Croats from Serbia
  • Mr Jason Heaton, President Kernow Fa (Cornish Team)

Panel discussion

(moderation by Mr Matic Germovšek, FUEN project coordinator)

12:30 - 12:45

Results and conclusions

  • Mr Gösta Toft, FUEN Vice president
12:45 - 14:00

Lunch and individual departure of the participants

Download the program in PDF