WRITTEN QUESTION E-1533/02 by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission. Hesse law against bilingualism.
Date: 2002-06-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Hesse, child of migrant, education policy, language teaching, linguistic discrimination, organisation of teaching

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/171

Particular attention will be paid to methods of encouraging young people to choose scientific and technical
subjects and to ensure a steady supply of qualified teachers in these subjects. An initial report from this
group will be available by the end of 2002.

The experts’ conclusion to which the written question alludes relates to a study conducted by the Spanish
Presidency, which the Commission will examine along with others and will submit for examination to its
group of experts.

Within the framework of the Community’s research policy, initiatives have been supported under the Fifth
Framework RTD Programme aimed at reviving young people’s interest in science subjects. In particular,
‘Physics on Stage’
(supported by the Commission as part of the European Science and Technology
Week 2001) is an initiative specifically concerned with attracting people to physics and the teaching of
physics. The Sixth Framework RTD Programme and the Science and Society Action Plan adopted by the
Commission in December 2001 (2) provide for measures to promote ways of teaching science that will be
more attractive to young people, as well as an initiative to pinpoint science training needs in Europe.

It must be said, however, that encouraging young people to study physics is a matter primarily for the
Member States rather than for the Community.

(1) Report of the Education Council to the European Council on the concrete future objectives of education and

training systems (cid:1) Document No 5980/01 EDUC 18 of 14 February 2001.

(2) COM(2001) 714 final.

(2002/C 301 E/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1533/02

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(3 June 2002)

Subject: Hesse law against bilingualism

Knowing that:

(cid:1) In force in the German Land of Hesse is a law which was adopted on 17 June 1992 by the SPD-Grüne
government for the purpose of maintaining standards in schools. Amongst other things, that law has
served to promote bilingualism.

(cid:1) A new law has recently been proposed which will have the effect of depriving foreign children of the
right to preserve their language of origin and under which their mother tongue and their potential
bilingualism will cease to be regarded as a resource to be exploited.

(cid:1) Notwithstanding authoritative studies which demonstrate how important maintaining the language
and the culture of origin is to personal development and to the integration process, the Hesse
government wishes the countries of origin to assume financial responsibility for the task. This would
place an excessive financial and organisational burden on consular representatives, lower the prestige
of the languages concerned and weaken the legal position of those languages in schools.

(cid:1) At the Convention on integration and opportunities for immigrants in Hesse which the government
‘We are in
organised on 26 November 2001 in Wiesbaden, the Chief Minister, Mr Koch, said:
Germany. Here, there is only one language: German. At home, foreign families can speak whatever
language they like but, in the street and at school, German alone will be spoken. Only this will lead to
integration’.

(cid:1) The new law would lead to serious problems:

if children were required to learn German before
starting school, foreign parents would be blamed for any failure by their children to learn the
language. However, immigrant families often lack money with which to pay for language courses.

(cid:1) Furthermore, the draft law in question would infringe Council Directive 77/486/EEC of 7 July 1977

and also the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Will the Commission do all it can to prevent the adoption of a law which blatantly contravenes European
legislation and the German Constitution itself and which is likely to result in a long legal and political
dispute?

C 301 E/172

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2002)

The Commission has repeatedly emphasised that it considers that the knowledge of languages is an
enriching factor not only for personal development but also for European society as a whole.

As previously stated in the reply to the Honourable Member’s written question E-1336/02 (1),
the
Commission fully acknowledges the problems linked to the teaching of migrant workers’ children and
actively strives to tackle these problems in co-operation with the Member States.

Regarding the draft legislation of the German federal state of Hessen to which the Honourable Member
refers, the Commission would underline that it does not wish to comment on draft legislation which has
not yet been adopted and which is not yet in force.

However,
EC Treaty, which states that:

in this context,

the Commission recalls the provisions of Article 149 paragraph 1 of

the

The Community shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging co-operation
between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action, while fully
respecting the responsibility of Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of
education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity.

(1) OJ C 277 E, 14.11.2002, p. 189.

(2002/C 301 E/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1535/02

by Reimer Böge (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(27 May 2002)

Subject: Foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea

There has been an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea.

According to reports, should the disease spread, it cannot be ruled out that more than 300 000 animals
will have to be slaughtered, in particular in the regions of Anseung and Yoning some 100 km from Seoul.

What precautions will the Commission take in conjunction with the Member States to prevent the disease
spreading to Europe, particularly through travel to the football World Cup competition?

(2002/C 301 E/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1544/02

by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 May 2002)

Subject: Foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea

Since the beginning of this month foot-and-mouth disease has been sweeping through South Korea. In an
effort to bring the disease under control, 110 000 animals, chiefly pigs, have now been slaughtered, but
even so in the past week new cases of the disease have been reported. Starting on 31 May, the football
World Cup is taking place in South Korea (and Japan). The city of Suwon, where teams including Portugal
are due to play matches, lies only 40 km from the affected area and Japan has now expressed the fear that
contaminated football fans may transmit the disease to that country.

Does the European Commission share the view that the large numbers of European football fans set to
visit South Korea represent a risk that contamination will spread to the EU? If not, why not?