European Parliament resolution on regional and lesser-used European languages
Date: 2001-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European cultural event, language teaching, minority language, multilingualism, regional language, rights of minorities

C 177 E/334

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

25.7.2002

Thursday 13 December 2001

20. Welcomes the idea of setting up a ‘one-stop’ site for information on mobility in Europe; stresses,
however, that care should be taken when setting up such a site to ensure that it is integrated with EURES
and e-SCHOLA and, to help the network become operational more swiftly, with any existing systems in
the Member States, which are similar in some or all respects, while offering regional and local bodies and
their employment offices greater possibilities of actively participating;

Calls on the Commission to suggest to the candidate countries that they participate in the project in

21.
question, possibly by incorporating it in the action plan for e-Europe 2002;

22.
Calls on the Commission, in view of the fact that the activities of the third sector already have a
significant international dimension, the impact the sector has at local level and the significant contribution
it makes to increasing typical and atypical employment, to consider the possibility of laying down, in
concert with the representatives of the sector, a basic system of Community rights for persons working
in the sector;

23. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to proposing an action plan on lifelong education and
training;

24. Welcomes the Commission’s action plan on e-Learning, which seeks to help schools and edu-
cational institutions in Europe adapt to the new information and communications technologies and to
promote wider access to these technologies;

25. Welcomes the adoption by the Council of the Commission’s report on ‘The concrete future objec-
tives of education systems’ and the commitment of Member States to an exchange, through the open
coordination method, of best practice in reforming educational systems;

26. Welcomes the initiative to establish a Task Force with a view to implementing programmes in
connection with the Recommendation on ‘mobility of students, persons undergoing training, young volun-
teers, teachers and trainers within the Community’;

27.
Calls on the European institutions to set a good example by reforming the conditions of employ-
ment and remuneration of officials and other employees of the European institutions, so as to facilitate, for
example, the transfer to the Community pension scheme of pension rights acquired in previous employ-
ment;

28.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.

31. Regional and lesser-used European languages

B5-0770, 0811, 0812, 0814 and 0815/2001

European Parliament resolution on regional and lesser-used European languages

The European Parliament,

8 having regard to Decision No 1934/2000/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 17 July

2000, establishing the European Year of Languages 2001 (1),

8 having regard to the Council Resolution of 23 November 2001 on Linguistic Diversity and Language

Learning,

8 having regard to Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which

guarantees linguistic diversity,

(1) OJ L 232, 14.9.2000, p. 1.

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8 having regard to its previous resolutions on regional or minority languages, including those on:

8 a Community Charter of Rights of Ethnic Minorities (16 October 1981) (1),

8 measures in favour of minority languages and cultures (11 February 1983) (2),

8 languages and cultures of regional and ethnic minorities in the European Community (30 October

1987) (3),

8 the situation of languages in the Community and the Catalan language (11 December 1990) (4),

8 linguistic minorities in the European Community (9 February 1994) (5),

A. whereas all the European languages are equal in value and dignity and are an integral part of Euro-

pean culture and civilisation,

B. whereas linguistic diversity must be preserved and multilingualism promoted in the Union, with equal

respect for the languages of the Union, and with due regard to the principle of subsidiarity,

C. whereas at least 40 million citizens in the Union regularly use a regional or lesser-used language,

accounting for more than 60 European regional or lesser-used language communities,

D. having regard to the initiative of the Council and the Commission on promoting the European Year of
Languages, and welcoming in particular the participation of regional or lesser-used language commun-
ities across the European Union,

E. whereas the principal objectives of the European Year of Languages were to raise awareness of the
richness of linguistic diversity within the European Union, to bring to the notice of the widest possible
public the advantages of competencies in a range of languages as a key element in personal devel-
opment and intercultural understanding, to encourage lifelong learning of languages and related skills
by all persons legally residing in the Member States, whatever their age, background or education, and
to collect and disseminate information about the teaching and learning of languages,

F. whereas languages must be used in order to stay alive; this includes their use in new technologies and

the development of new technologies such as translation software,

G. having regard to the important contribution lesser-used language communities will be able to make in

the context of the Future of Europe debate,

H. whereas the Commission has agreed to look into the possibility of presenting a draft programme with

the objective of promoting and safeguarding minority and regional languages,

Reaffirms that the Member States and the Commission must take measures to enable all citizens to
1.
learn languages for purposes of communication as a basis for improved mutual understanding and toler-
ance, personal mobility and access to information in a multilingual and multicultural Europe;

2.

Stresses the importance for Europe of ensuring provision of lifelong language learning;

Urges the Commission to submit, by 31 December 2002 at the latest, a detailed report evaluating the
including factual

3.
results of the European Year of Languages and giving an overall assessment thereof,
information, with particular emphasis on regional and lesser-used languages;

(1) OJ C 287, 9.11.1981, p. 106.
(2) OJ C 68, 14.3.1983, p. 103.
(3) OJ C 318, 30.11.1987, p. 160.
(4) OJ C 19, 28.1.1991, p. 42.
(5) OJ C 61, 28.2.1994, p. 110.

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Thursday 13 December 2001

4.

Calls on the Commission to propose measures to promote linguistic diversity and language learning;

5.
Calls for the Commission to build on the work done as part of the European Year of Languages
(2001) towards a multiannual programme on languages before the end of 2003, and to earmark funding
within this programme for regional or lesser-used languages;

6.
Requests that, with reference to enlargement of the European Union, the Council and the Commis-
sion require candidate countries to respect regional or minority languages and cultures and to respect fully
Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and to adhere to paragraphs 1.1 and 1.2 of the Annual
Reports on Progress towards Accession; considers also that the European Union has a responsibility to
support the member and candidate countries in developing their cultures and protecting linguistic diversity
within their borders;

7.
Points to the fact that it has voted EUR 1 million for preparatory action on the promotion and
safeguarding of regional and lesser-used languages, dialects and cultures in the 2002 Budget; insists that
the Commission ensure that it is put to good use, and calls on the Commission to find a basis for the
continued funding of promotion and safeguarding of regional and lesser-used languages, dialects and cul-
tures;

Calls on the Council to ensure that implementation of Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental

8.
Rights is on the agenda for the next Intergovernmental Conference;

Calls on those Member States that have not done so to sign and ratify the European Charter on

9.
Regional and Minority Languages;

10.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Committee of
the Regions and the parliaments and assemblies of the Member States, as well as to the European Bureau
for Lesser-Used Languages.