▁non - Lat in ▁speaking ▁populations ▁( with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁Catal an - spe aking ▁one ) ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁including ▁only ▁the ▁Rom ance - spe aking ▁populations . ▁Some ▁other ▁interpret ations ▁state ▁that ▁a ▁further ▁distinction ▁is ▁imp lied , ▁considering ▁only ▁some ▁groups ▁to ▁be ▁" n ational ▁minor ities ". ▁Reg ard less ▁of ▁the ▁ambigu ous ▁phr asing , ▁all ▁the ▁twelve ▁groups ▁are ▁techn ically ▁supposed ▁to ▁be ▁allowed ▁the ▁same ▁measures ▁of ▁protection ; ▁further more , ▁the ▁Framework ▁Convention ▁for ▁the ▁Prote ction ▁of ▁National ▁Minor ities , ▁signed ▁and ▁rat ified ▁by ▁Italy ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁applies ▁to ▁all ▁the ▁twelve ▁groups ▁mentioned ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁national ▁law , ▁therefore ▁including ▁the ▁Fri ul ians , ▁the ▁S ard ini ans , ▁the ▁Occ it ans , ▁the ▁Lad ins ▁etc ., ▁with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁the ▁Roman i . ▁ ▁In ▁actual ▁practice , ▁not ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁twelve ▁historical ▁lingu istic ▁minor ities ▁is ▁given ▁the ▁same ▁consideration . ▁In ▁fact , ▁the ▁disc rim ination ▁lies ▁in ▁the ▁ur gent ▁need ▁to ▁award ▁the ▁highest ▁degree ▁of ▁protection ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁French - spe aking ▁minor ity ▁in ▁the ▁A osta ▁Valley ▁and ▁the ▁German ▁one ▁in ▁South ▁Ty rol , ▁ow ing ▁to ▁international ▁treat ies . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁institution al ▁websites ▁are ▁only ▁in ▁Italian ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁exceptions , ▁like ▁a ▁French ▁version ▁of ▁the