WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3398/96 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Commission. Reduction in the number of languages in which CEDEFOP's vocational training magazine is published
Date: 1996-11-20
Institutions: ALAVANOS, European Parliament
Subjects: Cedefop, EU publication, exchange of information, official language, operating cost, publishing, use of languages, vocational training













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91996E3398

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3398/96 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Commission. Reduction in the number of languages in which CEDEFOP's vocational training magazine is published  


Official Journal C 091 , 20/03/1997 P. 0081 





WRITTEN QUESTION P-3398/96 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (20 November 1996)Subject: Reduction in the number of languages in which CEDEFOP's vocational training magazine is publishedThe European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) is ceasing publication of its vocational training magazine in 7 of the 11 languages used so far.Since the general task of this Centre is to disseminate relevant documents and information, to exchange information and to compare the experiences of Member States and bodies working in this sector, will the Commission say:1. Will it not be difficult for the Centre to fulfil its task, if it ceases to publish its magazine in all the official languages of the European Union?2. Why has publication ceased in 7 of the 11 languages?3. On what criteria were the 4 languages selected? Is it true that CEDEFOP is being cut off, linguistically, from its social environment?Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (10 January 1997)1. Yes, it is likely that, to some extent, it will be more difficult for the Centre to fulfil its task. However, since many readers of the European journal on vocational training (the journal) are researchers, policy-makers and practitioners involved in transnational cooperation, it is probable that they will be accustomed to working in at least one of the languages used.2. Publication of the journal in all Community languages has for some time presented considerable technical, timing and financial difficulties for the Centre. To continue this policy after the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, would require the journal to be published in eleven languages, as opposed to the previous nine. In the light of this, and considering the Cedefop budget for 1997, the Centre felt obliged to take the decision to reduce the languages in which the journal was published from nine to four.3. The decision to publish the journal in English, French, German and Spanish was taken because these are the languages in which it is most widely read and which it is most cost-effective to produce. It should be noted that these four linguistic versions account for 68% of the journal's total subscriptions but only 43% of its publication costs.The management board of the Centre is aware of the importance of making the journal accessible to as many policy makers, researchers and practitioners as possible in all the Member States and that linguistic barriers may reduce the readership in several Member States. It has proposed therefore to examine the linguistic policy of the publications of the Centre in 1997, and to consider alternative more cost-effective ways of increasing readership. The management board has no grounds for believing that the Centre is being cut off linguistically from its social environment.