In the light of this position, the present report intends to take the discussion one step further, by focusing on specific rules applying to national minorities in the electoral field.

Following the accepted definition on affirmative action, we could talk about affirmative action electoral rules if they go beyond the principle of non-discrimination. For an electoral rule (constitutional provision or law) to be categorised as an affirmative action electoral rule it needs to fulfil the following conditions:

- To provide national minorities (individually or collectively) with effective rights already benefitting the members of the majority ; 

- The preferences established by the electoral rules should only be limited to creating equal opportunity for the participation of the members of national minorities in the decision making.