Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN)
FUEN is the European umbrella organisation of the autochthonous, national minorities / ethnic groups in Europe. FUEN has around 100 member organisations altogether.
There are more than 400 European minorities. Every seventh European citizen is part of an autochthonous minority or speaks a regional or minority language.
FUEN – which was founded more than 65 years ago in Paris – sees itself as the advocate and civil society representative of the European minorities. The position and concerns of these minorities are very heterogeneous. Some minorities have many rights and cooperate with the majority in their country. Other groups however are not recognised by their state or have to fight against assimilation.
FUEN represents the interests of the European minorities – on regional, national and in particular on the European level. FUEN works together with the European Union, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the United Nations as well as with other stakeholders within the field of the European minorities.
FUEN holds consultative status at the United Nations and participatory status at the Council of Europe. FUEN is also full member of the European Civil Society Platform for Multilingualism established by the European Commission, and Participant in the Fundamental Rights Platform.
Every year, FUEN organises the largest meeting of the autochthonous minorities in Europe. Moreover, several activities are realised, such as the EUROPEADA – the football tournament of the European minorities. The annual meeting of the German, Slavic and Turkic minorities is also organised by FUEN.
For some years now, FUEN works together with the European Commission in the field of regional and minority languages, for which it established the network “RML2future” and the campagne "language diversity".
This page provides you with information about FUEN and its member organisations. If you would like to know more or if you have questions – please contact us.
FUEN Secretariat
Schiffbrücke 41, D-24939 Flensburg
info@fuen.org
+49 461 12 8 55
