Abstract
In 2026, the entry into force of enactment decree DPR 752/1976 that implemented ethnic quotas in the public sector in South Tyrol marks its 50th anniversary. To recognise the occasion, this policy brief provides an overview of the origins, legal foundations, implementation, and current challenges of the ethnic quota system in South Tyrol. The aim is to contribute to the broader debate beyond the case of South Tyrol on the use of ethnic quotas as a balancing mechanism in plural societies, particularly those made up of minority groups.