WRITTEN QUESTION P-0395/02 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Brittany in France.
Date: 2002-02-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Brittany, France, application of EU law, linguistic discrimination, minority language, regional language, rights of minorities

C 160 E/214

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.7.2002

It is however up to the Member States, after consultation with the social partners, to determine under what
conditions fixed-term employment contracts or relationships shall be regarded as successive as well as
deemed to be contracts or relationships of indefinite duration.

(1) Council Directive 1999/70/EC of 28 June 1999 concerning the framework agreement on fixed-term work

concluded by ETUC, UNICE and OJ L 175, 10.7.1999.

(2002/C 160 E/274)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0395/02

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 February 2002)

Subject: Brittany in France

With respect to certain provisions connected, for example, with the environment or the law, Europe has
reminded France of its Community obligations and that it has to apply domestically what it has signed up
to. And rightly so! With regard to regional and minority cultures, however, no such reminder has yet been
given, despite the flagrant bad faith, not to say Jacobin arrogance, that France shows in wanting to stifle
the diversity of its cultures and peoples.

What measures will Europe take to require this founder member of the European Union to implement the
texts which it has signed?

Does Europe take the view that France’s attitude towards its minorities is compatible with all the
provisions of the Human Rights Convention and of the Charter of Fundamental Freedoms?

What measures will Europe take to prevent the early disappearance = in the next decade = of the Breton
language = the last surviving Celtic language on the continent of Europe = and culture, now that the
Bretons have exhausted all the legal avenues open to them?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 2002)

In the Commission’s opinion, the rights of persons belonging to minorities are part of the principles
common to the Member States, listed in the first paragraph of Article 6 of the Treaty on the European
Union. These principles, which have been set out in various international conventions (1), have been
the European Union (2). Article 21(1)
solemnly reaffirmed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of
prohibits any discrimination based, among other
religion or
membership of a national minority, and Article 22 requires that the Union respect cultural, religious and
linguistic diversity. Article 51 of the same instrument specifies that the provisions of the Charter ‘are
addressed to the institutions and bodies of the Union with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity and
to the Member States only when they are implementing Union law’.

things, on ethnic origin,

language,

These principles are enforced by means of the infringement proceedings provided for in Article 226 of the
EC Treaty and by the political procedure laid down in Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union.
Under the former, the Commission may bring the matter before the Court of Justice if the complaint
comes within the scope of Community law; this is notably the case where the Member State does not
transpose a Community directive correctly. Under the latter, if there is a serious or persistent breach of the
principles mentioned in Article 6, the Commission or one third of the Member States may refer the matter
to the Council, meeting in the composition of the Heads of State or Government.

Concerning the treatment of minority language communities in France,
the Commission has no
information suggesting that Community law has been wrongly applied or implying the existence of a
serious and persistent breach within the meaning of Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union.

4.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 160 E/215

Article 2 of the French constitution provides that ‘the language of the Republic is French’, and the
Constitutional Council has traditionally adopted a strict interpretation of this provision where regional or
minority languages are concerned. In a recent case involving a government plan to integrate the Breton-
medium Diwan schools into the public education system (3),
it ruled that there is no constitutional
impediment to the scheme, provided that neither the pupils nor the teachers are obliged to use Breton in
the life of the school or in the teaching and learning of subjects other than the language itself.

However, it should be pointed out that in the area of education, Article 149 of the EC Treaty states very
clearly that the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems and their cultural and
linguistic diversity are the responsibility of the Member States.

The Union acts within the limits of its powers under the Treaties to safeguard the diversity of languages
used in Europe, particularly in the areas of culture and education. In keeping with Article 151(4) of the EC
Treaty, which states that cultural aspects must be taken into account in all activities of the Union, many
projects involving regional and minority languages have been financed under a variety of Community
programmes in such policy areas as regional and rural development, information society and social policy.

Following the Council Resolution of 29 November 2001 on linguistic diversity and language learning (4)
and the Parliament Resolution of 13 December 2001 on regional and lesser-used European languages, the
Commission intends to build on the results of the European Year of Languages in order to come forward
in 2003 with concrete proposals for actions to promote linguistic and language learning.

(1) See, for example, the United Nations (UN) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 27 of which
protects the cultural life and languages of persons belonging to minorities. The Covenant has been ratified by all the
Member States.

(2) OJ C 364, 18.12.2000.
(3) Conseil Constitutionnel, Décision No 2001-456 DC du 27 décembre 2001.
(4) 2391st Council meeting = Education and Youth Affairs = Brussels, 29 November 2001.

(2002/C 160 E/275)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0398/02

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: The myth of Icarus and European cultural policy

(11 February 2002)

The forthcoming production of ‘Icarus’ by British director Peter Greenaway does not mention the island of
Ikaria onto which Icarus fell and where he was buried, according to the ancient myth of the fall of Icarus.
This has caused considerable indignation among the island’s residents and the Greek public in general.

The fact that this production is funded by Cultural Olympiad resources prompts concerns and doubts over
the content and aims of its cultural policy and its capacity to protect and promote the particular cultural
heritages of different peoples.

What is the European Union’s financial and political contribution to the Cultural Olympiad programmes?
What is the Commission’s view of the above information and how does it intend to react?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2002)

The Commission does not in any way censor works produced with the support of national Ministries.
Moreover, the Commission does not finance the Cultural Olympiad programmes and cannot therefore
comment on the omission referred to in the British director’s production.