Mniejszości narodowe i etniczne w Polsce w opiniach Komitetu Doradczego Rady Europy

Poland now belongs to a group of countries which actively engage in the protection of national minorities. Also, it is a party to numerous international conventions including the most important one, i.e. the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities. Since its ratification Poland prepared three reports – in 2002, 2007 and 2012, in accordance with the monitoring procedure. The first two reports were opinioned by the Advisory Committee. The latest report is currently being examined. On the basis of previous assessment Poland appears to be a country in which national minorities have an established position and their rights are respected in a majority of cases. A marked improvement of their legal status took place in 2005 with the coming into effect of the Act on National and Ethnic Minorities and on the Regional Language. The introduction of language rights in the use of auxiliary languages in offices and bilingual topographic signs was a positive aspect. A Joint Commission of the Government and National and Ethnic Minorities was created and several crucial projects with a view to counteract discrimination were implemented.