Let petitions be submitted in sign language! 

The plenary session of the European Parliament discussed the activities of the Petitions Committee in 2021. Fidesz MEP Ádám Kósa, expressed his regret that the protection of native European cultures and languages is not one of the priorities of the European Commission. MEP Kósa also finds it regrettable that deaf citizens of the EU can still not submit petitions in sign language.

As it is well known, 1.1 million European Union citizens signed the European citizens’ initiative called “Minority SafePack”, with which they wanted to improve the protection of 50 million persons belonging to national and linguistic minorities living in the European Union. However, the European Commission ignored this and did not propose a new legal instrument. MEP Kósa pointed out: “It is unfortunate that the protection of indigenous European cultures and languages is not among the priorities of the European Commission today, nor is the credibility of the citizens’ initiative as a tool for citizens’ participatory democracy.

The MEP also drew attention to the fact that, in addition to disregarding the rights of linguistic minorities, the EU institutions also ignore the right of the deaf to use sign language. “For years, no substantial progress has been seen in the matter of the petition in which they ask the European Parliament to enable the submission of petitions in national sign languages,” he reminded. The MEP strongly requests: “In the future, it shall be made possible for deaf citizens of the European Union to submit their petitions in their own mother tongue, which is sign language!”