The issue of national regions has once again entered a judicial phase: on November 13, 2025, Balázs Izsák, president of the Szekler National Council (SZNT) of Romania, filed a lawsuit before the General Court of the European Union after the European Commission declared that it does not intend to launch legislative action on the matter despite the European Citizens’ Initiative’s success.

Lawsuit Objective: Compel the Commission to Take Substantive Action

The SZNT has set out three main goals:

1. For the General Court to annul the Commission’s decision rejecting the Initiative.
2. For the General Court to obligate the Commission to reconsider the Initiative on substance and draft a legislative proposal supporting national regions.
3. To protect the European Citizens’ Initiative as an institution, which is undermined if the Commission can ignore the will of citizens without consequences.

The Will of More Than 1.2 Million EU Citizens at Stake

The citizens’ initiative—officially titled “Cohesion policy for the equality of regions and the sustainability of regional cultures”—aims to ensure that EU cohesion policy gives special attention in the future to those territories which, due to their national, cultural, linguistic or religious characteristics, have specific needs. One such area is the Székely (Szekler) Region of Romania.

More than 1.2 million EU citizens signed the Initiative, which meet all formal requirements. According to the organizers, it is therefore disgraceful that the Commission, despite such popular support, has ruled it “does not intend to take any substantive measures.”

Faulty and Incomplete Commission Reasoning

According to the lawsuit submitted by the SZNT, the Commission:

• did not fulfil its obligation to state adequate reasons for rejection,
• included several statements in its decision that are “incorrect or untrue,” and
• acted contrary to EU law in several points.

The SZNT’s legal brief emphasizes that the Commission committed “numerous omissions” to the detriment of Europe’s national minority regions. Based on the Commission’s argumentation, the organizers of the Initiative also infer a shift toward a vision of a “global European superstate” in which little room remains for the cultural particularities of regions with distinct national identities.

The Commission Acknowledges: Article 174 Can Be Supplemented

Although the Commission rejected the proposal to enact new legislation, its statement does  establish an important principle: Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)—which lists Europe’s disadvantaged regions—may be supplemented by other regions, including national regions.

The organizers consider this a major achievement, as it constitutes an acknowledgement by the Commission that national regions indeed have legitimate development-policy needs.

The Outcome Will Be Crucial for Other Minority Regions As Well

The result of the case may be decisive for the Székely Region and other minority regions that currently do not receive focused attention within EU development policy. If the General Court rules in favor of the SZNT, it could reshape the approach of EU cohesion policy and strengthen support for cultural diversity.

Please follow and like us: