ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses the role of the state in the European Union (EU) with respect to the recognition of minority rights in the EU constitution. It discusses the framework convention and its essential underlying principles. EU scholars and pratictioners generally agree that the Convention of the Future of Europe will provide a key framework for EU citizenship. The chapter also assesses the theoretical debate surrounding the adoption of a formal constitution including the emergence of an EU polity. It focuses on the linkages between regionalism and the EU, as well as the institutional (re)engineering needed to articulate the transnational dimensions of minority rights protection. The chapter also discusses the relationship between minority rights and autonomy and an EU democratic polity. A key feature of the EU party's platform would be the implementation of stronger self-governing measures that could complement the state's efforts to address minority rights issues.
