WRITTEN QUESTION E-3418/01

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: Respect for linguistic diversity in Europe

2001 was designated the European Year of Languages. Since its inception, the Union has shown a keen interest in maintaining linguistic diversity in Europe and a large part of its budget is spent on translation and interpretation to facilitate the use of the 11 official languages of the Union.

It is well known that tens of thousands of Pomaks live in Greece. The majority are Muslims who speak their own language which has survived the passage of time. It is a language used for everyday communication with an alphabet, grammatical rules and spelling rules. Educational books have also been published in Pomak for the use of primary school children. However, no provision is made within the official Greek education system to teach Pomak, which is condemning the language to extinction.

Does the Commission have any information as to the total number of Pomaks living in Europe? What is the Commission's view of the possibility of teaching the Pomak language in schools in the areas in which Pomaks live? What is the Commission's view of the fact that the Greek Ministry for Education requires Pomak children to be taught Turkish, in addition to the official language, Greek, although they are neither of Turkish origin nor do many wish to learn the language or be considered Turkish, as Turkish propaganda would have it?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 2002)

Respect for cultural and linguistic diversity is one of the cornerstones of the Union, now enshrined in Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. In the Commission's opinion, the rights of persons belonging to minorities are part of the principles common to the Member States, listed in the first paragraph of Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union.

The Commission does not have any definite figures on the number of Pomak speakers in Europe. A study of minority language communities in Spain, Portugal and Greece conducted on behalf of the Commission in 1988 by Miquel Siguan of the University of Barcelona(1) indicated that an estimated 27 000 Pomak speakers lived in Greece in 1971, and this would appear to tally with other estimates, which range from 20 000 to 30 000.

Any language can be taught in schools. However, article 149 of the EC Treaty provides that that action by the Community in the field of education must fully respect the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity.

In its own sphere of competence, the Union has taken action to promote linguistic diversity. One of the principal objectives of the European Year of Languages 2001, a joint initiative of the Union and the Council of Europe, was to raise awareness of linguistic diversity and the importance of language learning. In addition to a Europe-wide information campaign, the Union has also financed a wide variety of projects promoting the aims of the year, many of which involve regional and minority languages. The Union also cofinances the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages and the Mercator information network whose purpose is to disseminate information on and raise awareness of the regional and minority languages of Europe.

(1) Linguistic Minorities in the European Union: Spain, Portugal and Greece, OPOCE, Luxembourg, 1990, ISBN 92-826-0375-X.