EU Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib has pledged that by September 4, 2025, the Commission will publish its formal position on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) launched by the Szekler National Council (SZNT) of Romania entitled “Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of regionalcultures.” Lahbib promised the Commission would either propose legislation or respond in another form by that date.

The Initiative’s objective is for EU cohesion policy to give special attention to regions with distinct national, linguistic, cultural, or religious heritage.

In a process that has spanned over a decade, July 10, 2025 marked a new stage when the European Parliament’s plenarysession in Strasbourg debated the Initiative. It’s goal: provide proper economic development and equal opportunity to access various EU funds – including for geographical areas with no administrative competences – while preserving the unique characteristics of distinct national regions such as the Székely (Szekler) Region in Romania, Brittany, Silesia, and Friesland.

The Initiative received nearly 1.3 million validated statements of support from EU citizens and reached the necessary thresholds in eight countries thereby fulfilling the formal requirements of the ECI mechanism.  Its progress, however, had been hindered by years of litigation until the Court of Justice of the European Union (Case C-420/16 P) ruled in 2019 that the Commission had unlawfully denied the Initiative’s registration. The Initiative was officially submitted on March 4, 2025, setting the legal foundation for political debate.

On March 25, 2025, an SZNT delegation – President Balázs Izsák, Secretary György László, and Foreign Affairs Commissioner Attila Dabis – met behind closed doors in Brussels with EU Commission leaders, including Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion Policy, and Peter Berkowitz, Director at DG REGIO. As the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation (HHRF) reported, the SZNT described the meeting as a turning point. For the first time, the Commission gave constructive signals that it was willing to engage seriously with the Initiative.

The subsequent July 10 plenary debate in Strasbourg was the Initiative’s most significant public test so far. MEPs Loránt Vincze, Gyula Winkler, Kinga Gál, and Gabriella Gerzsenyi – all strongly supported it, while MEPs Daniel Buda and Diana Șoșoacă of Romania were among those opposing. Several other MEPs emphasized that in regions such as Silesia and Friesland, or in Ireland, minority language use remains unprotected, and communities still face discrimination (Szekler National Council, 2025).

What is at stake?
Commissioner Lahbib has emphasized that respect for cultural and linguistic diversity is a core EU value, but that the Commission can only act within the framework of the treaties (Szekler National Council, 2025). The Initiative calls for amending specific articles, namely in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). If the Commission now decides in favor of legislation, it would be a milestone in the recognition of national regions and ensure the long-term preservation of their cultural and linguistic her

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