We could say from the start that countries like Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary or Ukraine signed international treaties providing rights for different minorities. In spite of these assumed obligations, these countries refuse to respect the rights of the Romanian minority. 
 
Beginning with 2006, the Center of Studies for Romanian Resources started monitoring on how the Romanian minorities rights are respected in neighboring countries. During the last three years, the general situation of the Romanian minority did not improve, moreover, the tendency was towards a restriction of rights in these communities.
 
The report follows aspects such as: mother tongue education, NGO's activity, the right of using mother tongue in church and in mass-media or hostile attitudes of the majority population towards the Romanian minority.
 
There is this tendency among different governments of splitting the Romanian community: they think, or they want to think that there are Romanians, Vlachs or Moldavians. Why are they making this distinction? Well, this phenomenon leads to a smaller group of “official” Romanians in that area, and as a result it is harder for the Romanian government to intervene. 

Bulgaria refuses to give an answer regarding the recognition of a Romanian minority

For example, the Bulgarian government refuses to officially admit that there is a Romanian minority, but they signed a treaty recognizing a Vlach community, insisting that this minority has another identity, not a Romanian one. After years in which different organizations tried to change this, Bulgaria still refuses to give an answer regarding the recognition of a Romanian minority. 
 
But Bulgaria is not an exception. Serbia insisted in splitting the Romanian community in two: the Romanians and the Vlachs. The consequence? Serbian authorities refuse to approve Romanian language classes in North-Eastern Serbia or Timok Valley, places with a strong Romanian population.
The same situation exists with the initiative of reinstating Romanian as a liturgical language in churches  in Timok Valley. The Serbian Orthodox Church continue their campaign against this initiative, and there are violent manifestations against orthodox clerus using Romanian language in churches.
 
The diplomatic conflict between Romania and Ukraine influenced the attitude of the Ukrainian Government towards the Romanian minority. There was a media campaign accusing Romania of  intentionally annexing Ukrainian territories. This aggressive campaign led to a negative attitude towards Romanian minority. There were attempts to curb the freedom of expression in Romanian language, and at the boarders, the Ukrainian authorities prohibited the entrance of any Romanian written press.
 
The situation of education and freedom of religion in Hungary may be appreciated as good, but the attitude towards the Romanian minority is concerning. After intense public protests, the Hungarian authorities decided at the beginning of 2009 to reduce the financing for a Romanian magazine. Extremists organizations threatened the Romanian minority before the installation of a statue for Romanian bishop Andrei Saguna, the installation was eventually cancelled. 

 
At the end of November, I met George Damian, the Director of the Center of Studies for Romanian Resources: 
  
  Was it easy making this kind of report?
Financially speaking, the was very little funding. I wanted to be an independent project, so that I can write exactly what I see. That's why I haven't accessed different funding methods. As for the writing part, I read international media, I talked with Romanians that are part of these minorities and searched for archives that could help me. 
  
 Have you considered following for some days the life of a Romanian family that is living abroad?
I think this would have been too hard. I know different Romanians that are living abroad. For example, I know some that are living in Bulgaria, a family of professors, that gathered all the Romanian kids at their house after school, and taught them in Romanian; and this happened before '89. They were reading very old almanacs or books with different ballads or Romanian traditional songs. 
  
 You wrote that in different countries there is no Romanian press. Have you tried talking with the Romanian authorities, so they could change this?
I am not an expert in international law, but I know that a country should recognize a minority, and after that, the Council of Europe could start monitoring, so that the minority rights are respected. For example, the Bulgarian authorities aren't recognizing the Romanian minority, so they don't have to finance Romanian written press. 
  
 Is the Romanian government aware of this situation?
They know about this situation, they know that countries like Bulgaria or Serbia aren't recognizing the Romanian minorities, but there is a diplomatic process. So, we have to negotiate our position, we have to wait and see if this leads to some changes.