FUEN: Federal Union of European Nationalities

The representative organisation of the Slovak and Czech minorities in Romania is the Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania (UDSCR). It was established on 9 January 1990 in in Nădlac and registered at Arad court.

The organisation’s activity unfolds, from one side a collaboration with other minorities from Romania, with the majority population of the country, but also a collaboration with the Slovaks and Czechs from diaspora, from the neighbouring countries (particularly with Croatia, Serbia and Hungary) and also with the origin countries, Slovak and Czech Republic.

In order to carry out an efficient activity, the UDSCR is structured as an organisation with four regional affiliates and 60 local organisations included in these affiliates since 1998.

The unions objectives according to the Statutes are:

- to express, preserve and develop the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of Slovaks and Czechs in Romania;

- to represent the Slovak and Czech national minorities, to protect their national identity, their fundamental democratic interests, rights and fundamental freedoms, to respect their citizens' obligations according to the legislation and the Constitution of Romania;

- to assert, preserve and transmit cultural, historical, secular and church traditions;

- to maintain specific ties between members of the Slovak and Czech communities with their country of origin;

- to promote a climate of interethnic collaboration and tolerance;

- to support Slovakian and Czech communities in Romania, and social, humanitarian actions in the spirit of eliminating possible discrimination.