WRITTEN QUESTION E-0466/00

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 February 2000)

Subject: Commission policy on implementation of the EU budget for 2000 in respect of the promotion and safeguard of regional and minority languages

The two EU budgetary authorities, Parliament and the Council, have decided to set aside a number of headings under the Community budget for 2000 to promote and safeguard regional and minority languages.

To be more precise, it has been indicated that line B3-1003N (Preparatory measures for promotion of the linguistic diversity of the Community in the information society), to which the sum of EUR 2 million has been earmarked, aims, within the information society, to promote the linguistic diversity of the Community, including regional and minority languages, and to finance preparatory measures with a view to the designation of 2001 as the European Year of Languages, including sign languages.

Will the Commission say exactly how much of the sum of EUR 2 million is to be earmarked for the protection and safeguard of minority languages in the Community, and what sum is to be allocated specifically in order to the achieve the two basic aims mentioned above?

What procedure will it be pursuing with a view to implementing the aforementioned budget line?

When does it intend to begin accepting applications for specific projects which may be eligible for funding to promote and safeguard minority languages?

What will be the guidelines and requirements governing the eligibility of projects for Community funding?

When can the selected projects hope to receive the Community funding allocated to them?

Is any other heading or sum in the EU budget for 2000 likely to be in any way earmarked for the promotion and safeguard of regional and minority languages, and if so, what will be the amounts of money involved?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Budget heading B-1003 Preparatory measures for promotion of the linguistic diversity of the Community in the information society is intended, according to the budget remarks, to promote the Community's linguistic diversity, including regional and minority languages. It is also intended to cover the funding of preparatory measures for the European Year of Languages (EYL).

The Commission originally asked for 4 million to prepare for the Year. It now proposes to use all of the 2 million finally awarded for these preparatory activities.

The limited budget available in 2000 will only be enough to cover urgent expenditure which cannot be deferred until 2001, i.e. the information campaign and launch events. These activities will be funded respectively following a call for tenders for this contract and on the basis of proposals from those Member States organising launch events. The Commission has always emphasised that many of the activities associated with the Year will be neutral in target language terms. However, all the target languages defined in the decision establishing the Year will be included.

The Commission plans to publish a call for proposals during the autumn to identify projects eligible for a grant under the 2001 budget; the text of the call is currently being drawn up. The projects chosen will be informed once the selection and financial commitment procedure has been completed. If necessary, a second call will be published in 2001.

With regard to linguistic diversity in the information society, the Commission is planning to publish at the end of April 2000 a call for proposals for preparatory measures intended to prepare the joint follow-up to the Multilingual Information Society (MLIS) and INFO 2000 programmes. These measures could, in principle, target all languages, including regional and minority ones, if their objectives are suitable and fit within the framework of the call for proposals.