European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages Conference 2006 in Dublin

by redjade Mon Nov 20, 2006 18:07

Unity in Diversity? European Parliament rejects Bernat Joan’s Report proposals

The proposals for a EU language plan and legislation for collective language rights, the EU Ombudsman to resolve language disputes, to modify the EU Treaty to allow for a legal base for linguistic diversity, for the fundamental rights agency to take care of language rights, and continuing support for EBLUL and the Mercator Centres, were all rejected outright. The only proposals to survive were the recommendations that the 2003 Ebner Report be implemented and that EU citizens be able to communicate with the EU in their own national langage, regardless of whether it has official status.

Catalan MEP Bernat Joan [ http://tinyurl.com/y97r4o] abstained in the final vote because the Parliament had, by then, rendered the Report toothless. He said: "We cannot support a report where, after the vote in committee and in the plenary, almost all the relevant points have been removed...."

[....]

Bairbre de Brun [ http://tinyurl.com/y2lqnv ] (Sinn Fein- GUE), speaking in Irish then English, strongly supported all of the EFA- Green amendments, and referred to the important work of EBLUL and its projects over the years and their conference in Dublin next week.

In contrast, Mr. Vidal Quadras [ http://tinyurl.com/y5ouqz ] (Spanish PP - EPP) reacted with scorn, calling the Report “an opportunistic attempt by the rapporteur to come up with nationalist, separatist rhetoric,” and that Mr Joan was “using languages to promote the disintegration of member states”.

An Irish MEP said that “lesser used languages are as important, if not more, than the bigger languages, its important that we carry on supporting lesser used languages to show unity in diversity.”

more at
http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&ta...ng=en

by redjade Fri Dec 01, 2006 18:25

The new commissioner designate for Multilingualism [will be] the Romanian, Leonard Orban, met the European Parliament yesterday in a hearing which was dominated by the topic of stateless, regional or minority languages.

Following close questioning by MEPs Mr Orban stated several times that the Commission would support all languages and that EU language projects are now open to all European and some neighbouring languages. However, he highlighted the limit of the Commission’s powers when dealing with languages and linguistic rights.

[....]

A number of MEPs questions focused on the Roma and Hungarian minorities in Romania and the Slovenian minorities in Austria. On these issues, and relating to the use of Catalan, Mr Orban responded each time that he supported the official position of the European Commission, and that protection of language rights was a matter for the Member States:

Karen Resetarits (ALDE) pointed out that "certain languages are oppressed in member states", adding that the EU should offer some protection.

"When it comes to language rights, these are absolutely essential, but I am not in favour of adopting legislation on European level to be imposed on Member States”, said Mr Orban.

On the Hungarian minority in Romania, Mr Orban stated: "I repeat the point of view of the Commission, with which I agree. Romania has made remarkable progress in reference to the right of minorities [...] My opinion and the opinion of the Commission is that minority rights in Romania are respected".

[....]

Answering a question from Ms Valean on whether the Commission can help to increase the use of languages, such as Breton, Mr Orban said "I have talked about financing for all the languages spoken in the EU, at present the Commission has provided EBLUL with support and put emphasis on other options such as the Mercator network, for that kind of activity there will be Community funding available as of 2007 so that all those programmes can be implemented in an acceptable way."

more at
http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&ta...ng=en
. . . . . . . .

Leonard Orban
''Orban was born in a ethnically mixed family, to a father of Hungarian origin and a Romanian mother.''

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Orban

. . . . . . . .

Mercator network
http://www.mercator-central.org/

ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe)
http://www.alde.eu/

Hungarian minority in Romania
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_minority_in_Romania

Roma minority in Romania
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_minority_in_Romania

Minorities of Romania
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minorities_of_Romania

Demographics of Austria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Austria