Report no 2-2008
The report deals with the European Court of Justice´s practice with regards to the so-called "Åland protocol" and the rules of non-discrimination on the grounds of nationality, place of residence and knowledge of language while these are the most relevant aspects for Åland and many other territorial autonomies. According to the analysis, there are several different issues that may lead the Court to conclude that the principle of non-discrimination has been respected only in part. The demand for Swedish language skills constitutes the least problematic ground for differential treatment, as this demand has a direct connection with the aspired aim of the Protocol. Contrarily, the demand for Finnish citizenship is problematic because of the lack of direct link to the aim. (The report is available in Swedish only).