EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/487

(2004/C 88 E/0500)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0113/04

by Raina Echerer (Verts/ALE) and Eurig Wyn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 January 2004)

Subject: Maltese language for the next parliamentary term

Languages are one of Europe's greatest assets, therefore it is vital that the European institutions protect and promote the diversity of languages and cultures in Europe. Both the European Parliament and the Commission have always given importance to having proper working tools in order to translate and interpret into all the official languages of the European Union. However, it has been brought to our attention that it is likely that there will be a shortage of translators and interpreters in the Maltese language. Thus, there is a strong risk that Maltese parliamentarians and officials will not be able to use Maltese in any EU institution, as from 1 May 2004.

As part of the enlargement process, Malta should have been able to supply enough interpreters and translators in order for Maltese to be an official language of the European institutions. However, the current university course for such disciplines held at the University of Malta has only been activated this year for the first time, on a part-time basis which has not provided a sufficient number of professionals in this field.

1. Does the Commission know for what reasons this part of the enlargement process has not been respected?

2. Would it be possible for the Commission to address this situation by offering financial assistance to the University of Malta so that the above course is run on a full-time basis, thus enabling Maltese interpreters and translators to qualify in a shorter space of time?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 2004)

The Commission shares the view that diversity of languages and cultures is an asset for the Union that should be preserved. The recognition of the Maltese language as an EU official language reflects this principle.

The organisation and content of training is the responsibility of the national authorities. In the framework of enlargement preparations the Commission has had a number of contacts with the Maltese authorities and interested bodies over the last two years on the subject of training interpreters and translators. These discussions emphasised the need for appropriate and timely preparations in order to ensure the supply of suitably qualified translators and particularly interpreters since there was no tradition of interpreting in Maltese.

The severity of the shortage of qualified translators and interpreters in the Maltese language only became fully evident to the Commission when it launched a call for applications mid-2003. The limited number of qualified applications received gave concrete evidence of this shortcoming, obviously related to the small size of the Maltese population. At the same time, the Commission undertook to set up in Malta a translation field office in order to assist the Maltese authorities in finding a solution to this problem.

The Commission is currently considering supporting the Maltese authorities, with financial assistance, in organising training courses for interpreters and translators. However the Commission's experience shows that these courses need to be organised carefully and to full professional standards if the trained translators and interpreters are to have the qualifications required by EU institutions. The Commission is working with the Maltese authorities to ensure, as quickly as possible, this outcome.