WRITTEN QUESTION E-1179/00 by Gorka Knörr Borràs (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. The Basque language in Navarre.
Date: 2000-04-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, Navarre, infringement of EU law, regional language

C 53 E/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

In line with the new provision, the customs authorities may authorise natural persons established in the
customs territory of the Community to use in that territory a vehicle hired under a written contract
outside it. This authorisation is subject to the condition that countries where the vehicles are hired and
registered authorise temporary importation under comparable circumstances for vehicles hired and
registered in the customs territory of the Community. The vehicle shall be re-exported or returned to a
car-hire company established in the customs territory of the Community for subsequent re-exportation
within eight days of the entry into force of the contract.

(1) OJ L 197, 29.7.1999.
(2) Debates of the European Parliament No 4-531 (January 1999.).

(2001/C 53 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1179/00

by Gorka Kn(cid:246)rr Borr(cid:224)s (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(12 April 2000)

Subject: The Basque language in Navarre

The legal regime governing the use of Basque in Navarre is at present laid down by regional
law
No 18/1986 of 15 December 1986 (on the Basque language). This law divides the territory of Navarre
in which Basque and Spanish have joint
into three language zones, namely: a Basque-speaking zone,
official status; a (cid:145)mixed(cid:146) zone(cid:146); and a non-Basque-speaking zone (in the latter two, the sole official language
is Spanish). According to data supplied by the regional government of Navarre, Basque is spoken by 70 %
of the population in the Basque-speaking zone, 21 % in the mixed zone and 7 % in the non-Basque-
speaking zone.

In the Basque-speaking zone, given the co-official status of Basque, education and administration are
conducted on a bilingual basis. In the mixed zone, Basque is not official and its use is voluntary. In the
non-Basque-speaking zone, language rights do not exist as such: Basque exists only as a school subject, and
Basque-medium education is not offered, even though there is certainly demand. The administration in this
zone is under no obligation to deal with the public in Basque, nor does it have the resources to do so.
Furthermore, Basque-medium education is not offered in the sole state university of the region of Navarre,
as Basque has recently been given a status similar to that of (cid:145)foreign(cid:146) languages such as English or French.

Given that the regional law No 18/1986 on the Basque language defines Basque as a specifically Navarran
language, and in view of the numerous resolutions adopted by the European Parliament such as that of
30 October 1987 in which it is recommended that Member States should give an official dimension to the
teaching of regional and minority languages and give such teaching the same status as that accorded to the
teaching of national languages, and, similarly, the resolutions of 9 February 1994, 17 December 1998 and
16 March 2000, is the Commission aware of this situation?

Does the Commission not believe that the present state of affairs in the non-Basque-speaking zone runs
counter to the principles of those resolutions? On the eve of the European Year of Languages, does the
Commission not believe that cases such as that of Basque in Navarre need to be closely monitored? Does
the Commission intend to draw up a progress report on respect for the cultural diversity of the Member
States, in line with the principles arising from Article 151 of the Treaty?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2000)

Respect for linguistic and cultural diversity is one of the foundation stones of the Union. The Commission
takes note of the information provided by the Honourable Member on the situation of the Basque
language in the Communidad Foral de Navarra.

Tit should be pointed out that a Parliamentary resolution is not legally binding on the Member States. For
its part, he Commission has taken action within its field of competence e.g. by drafting a report on the
situation of regional and minority languages in the Union (the (cid:145)Euromosaic(cid:146) study) and providing financial
of the said resolutions support for safeguarding and promoting regional and minority languages, as well as
supporting the European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages and the Mercator information network. The
Commission has alsoopening up Community programmes, where applicable, financed initiatives involving
regional and minority languages within other Community programmes.

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/93

As for the European Year of Languages, the main aim of this initiative is to heighten awareness of the
importance of learning languages. All languages deemed eligible for support identified by the Member
States for the implementation of the European Year of Languages, whatever their status, will be given equal
access to the programme.

As part of its action for safeguarding and promoting regional and minority languages, the Commission
intends to conduct a study of regional and minority language communities in the Union today. This
project will build on the results of the Euromosaic study to present an updated view, among other things,
of the position of such languages in national, regional and local
legal, administrative and education
systems.

(2001/C 53 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1180/00

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallstr(cid:246)m (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 April 2000)

Subject: Children on aircraft

Airlines observe various different practices with regard to the safety of children on board aircraft who do
not have their own seats. Some do not permit children to be transported in safety seats attached to seats
by means of safety belts. In this case, children have to be held in the lap during take-off and landing. Some
airlines require children to be attached to adults(cid:146) seatbelts by means of a separate belt. Other airlines do
not allow this.

What methods does the Commission have at its disposal for improving the safety of very young passengers
on board aircraft belonging to airlines operating within the territory of the Union? What will the
Commission do to ascertain how it can be made easier for small children to travel by air, for example by
means of measures relating to seats?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(15 June 2000)

The regulation of the safety of passengers on board civil aircraft used for the purpose of commercial air
transport by an operator established in the Community is currently the responsibility of each Member
State, and this explains the diversity of treatment mentioned by the Honourable Member.

Harmonised technical requirements and administrative procedures in respect of certain aspects of civil
aviation safety are already laid down in Council Regulation (EEC) no 3922/91 of 16 December 1991 (1).
Recently the Commission proposed to Council and Parliament (2) an amendment of this Regulation, aiming
at extending its scope to include common requirements on operations by commercial airplanes. Further
studies on this issue are being currently conducted.

In respect of children and safety belts these requirements prescribe that a seat may only be occupied by
two people if one is a child, and provided this child is properly secured by a supplementary loop belt or
other restraint device. This implies also that children should in other cases be treated like any other
passengers and be installed in a seat with their own seat-belt. No specific provision is however made for
safety seats to be put on an aircraft seat.

Adoption of this amending regulation will result in a harmonised set of legally binding operational safety
requirements in the Community in this field.

(1) OJ L 373, 31.12.1991.
(2) COM(2000) 121.