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Commissioner’s visit report (excerpts on citizenship & participation), 2004

[..] I THE PROTECTION OF MINORITIES [..] Citizenship 8. The legislative process following the independence in 1991 was largely guided by the principle of restoration, which meant, inter alia, that automatic acquisition of Estonian citizenship required a connection to the pre-Soviet era Estonia. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of persons who had settled in Estonia during … Continue reading "Commissioner’s visit report (excerpts on citizenship & participation), 2004"

Commissioner’s visit report (excerpts on ratifications & anti-discrimination law), 2004

GENERAL REMARKS [..] 2. Estonia ratified the European Convention for Human Rights, and its Protocols 1 through 11 in 1996, and Protocol 13 in 2003. Estonia has signed, but not yet ratified Protocol 12 or the European Convention for Human Rights. Estonia also ratified the European Convention against Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or … Continue reading "Commissioner’s visit report (excerpts on ratifications & anti-discrimination law), 2004"

CLRA recommendation 81 (2000) on the situation of local democracy in Estonia (excerpts)

The Congress, (..) Notes in particular that: (..) Aliens have the right to vote in local elections and that, according to the law, candidates in local elections should have Estonian proficiency; in certain areas of the country, the municipal council can work in the language of the majority; (..) Recommends therefore that parliamentary, governmental and … Continue reading "CLRA recommendation 81 (2000) on the situation of local democracy in Estonia (excerpts)"

The Russian minority in the Baltic States and the enlargement of the EU (excerpts), 1999

The views expressed in this document are not necessarily those held by the European Parliament as an institution. [..] II. BACKGROUND Russian influence has marked the Baltic’s political and historical development for centuries. Most of the Baltic territories were under Russian rule during the 18th and 19th centuries. After the First World War, the three … Continue reading "The Russian minority in the Baltic States and the enlargement of the EU (excerpts), 1999"

Resolution on Honouring of obligations and commitments by Estonia (excerpts), 1997

[..] The second problematic area relates to the treatment of the “non-historic” Russian-speaking minority, which has given rise to some concern in the last three years, especially as far as the granting of residence permits and citizenship (and the language test that has to be passed in order obtain the latter) are concerned [..] 8. The … Continue reading "Resolution on Honouring of obligations and commitments by Estonia (excerpts), 1997"

Situation of human rights in Estonia and Latvia, 1992

The General Assembly, Guided by the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights, Reaffirming that all member States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all and to fulfil the obligations they have undertaken under the … Continue reading "Situation of human rights in Estonia and Latvia, 1992"