Art. 1.

The Department for the Protection of National Minorities ensures the co-ordination of the uniform politics in the field of the protection of national minorities in Romania.

Art. 2.

(1) In order to fulfil the provisions of art. 1 and of Government Decree no. 17/1997 as amended by Government Decree no. 506/1997, within the Department for the Protection of National Minorities there shall be established, as an advisory body formed by representatives of the following ministries or departments, as the case may, the Inter-Ministerial Committee for National Minorities, in the following referred to as the Inter-Ministerial Committee, within 30 days from the coming into force of the present decree:

a) The Department for the Protection of National Minorities;

b) The Ministry of National Education -- Direction for national minorities;

c) The Ministry of Culture -- Direction for national minorities;

d) The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection;

e) The Ministry of External Affairs -- Direction for human rights;

f) The Ministry of Justice;

g) The Ministry of Domestic Affairs;

h) The Ministry of Health;

i) The Ministry of National Defence;

j) The Ministry of Agriculture and Alimentation;

k) The Ministry of Public

l) The Department for the Relations with the Parliament;

m) The State Secretariat for Religious Cults;

n) The Department for Local Public Administration;

o) The Department for European Integration;

p)The Department for Child Protection;

(2) The representative of the Department for the Protection of National Minorities is the president of the Inter-Ministerial Committee.

(3) The ministries and other bodies of the central public administration mentioned under art. 1 shall be represented in the Inter-Ministerial Committee at least at the level of directors, named by decree of the minister or the executive of the central public administration organ.

Art. 3.

Representatives of the specialised committees of the Senate and the Deputy Chamber, of the Presidency, of the Legislative Council and of other institutions, as the Romanian Academy, research organisations for inter-ethnic relations, and non-governmental organisations may participate, as guests, at the meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Committee.

Art. 4.

(1) The Inter-Ministerial Committee has the following main powers:

a) assists the Department for the Protection of National Minorities in fulfilling its own tasks by means of providing the necessary information.

b) contributes to the elaboration of a uniform strategy in the field of the protection of national minorities and the protection of the Roma minority.

c) works out annual reports concerning the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and of other international documents to which Romania is part, and of domestic programs in the field of the protection of national minorities.

(2) Sub-committees on specific problems of national minorities may function within the framework of the Inter-Ministerial Committee.

Art. 5.

(1) The Inter-Ministerial Committee assemble on a quarterly basis or whenever necessary, convened by its president.

(2) The Inter-Ministerial Committee shall elaborate, within 60 days from its establishment, the evaluation of the programs carried out within the framework of each ministry in the field of the protection of national minorities until the date of coming into force of the present decree.

(3) The functioning rules of the Inter-Ministerial Committee are approved at the time of its first meeting and they are communicated to the interested institutions.

Art. 6.

The expenses related to the organization and functioning of the specific activities of the Inter-Ministerial Committee are granted by funds from the state budget, allocated to the Department for the Protection of National Minorities through the General Secretariat of the Government.

Source: Unofficial Translation