WRITTEN QUESTION E-0495/03 by Joan Vallvé (ELDR) to the Commission. Respecting and promoting linguistic diversity in Europe.
Date: 2003-02-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU programme, European Union, European cultural event, language teaching, linguistic group, living language, multilingualism, official language

10.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 161 E/223

The focus of the proposal for a Directive is the lender (intermediary)/borrower relationship and the
purpose of the restrictions is to avoid irrelevant questions on matters like race, age, sex, etc. or abusive
exploitation of the data collected.

Identification of customers, or the prevention of fraud, money laundering, and other criminal activities
should not be affected by the provisions of the proposal which is currently being discussed in the
Parliament and the Council.

This proposal should not affect the legal position of third parties other than the lender or intermediary,
such as Cifas and Hunter, as long as they operate in conformity with current Community and the national
legislation pursuant to it.

(1) OJ C 331 E, 31.12.2002.

(2003/C 161 E/234)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0495/03

by Joan Vallvé (ELDR) to the Commission

(21 February 2003)

Subject: Respecting and promoting linguistic diversity in Europe

Paragraph 13(f) of Parliament’s resolution of 14 January 2003 on the role of regional and local authorities
in European integration (P5_TA_PROV(2003)0009) calls for the following new Article 151a to be inserted
in the EC Treaty:

The Community shall, within its spheres of competence, respect and promote linguistic diversity in
Europe, including regional or minority languages as an expression of that diversity, by encouraging
cooperation between Member States and utilising other appropriate instruments in the furtherance of
this objective.

Can the Commission say what action it intends to take to achieve this goal, bearing in mind that 2002 was
declared the ‘European Year of Languages’ and there are languages in Europe which enjoy official status in
their respective regions of the Member States but receive no official recognition at EU level, as is the case
with Catalan? What concrete proposals does the Commission have for promoting this group of languages,
which are in a special situation?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(19 March 2003)

Following the European Year of Languages, which has without doubt contributed to the promotion of
linguistic diversity and language learning, as can be seen from the report on its implementation (1), there
has been a widespread desire to maintain the momentum in favour of language learning and linguistic
diversity that was generated by the Year. Commission staff have prepared a Consultation Document on
promoting language learning and linguistic diversity (2) around which a wide public consultation was
launched in December 2002, and which was also addressed to the Parliament. On the basis of the results
of the consultation, the Commission intends in mid 2003 to adopt an Action Plan to promote language
learning and linguistic diversity based on actions using resources available in existing Community
programmes and activities.

The Commission has proposed the adoption of an inclusive approach in which regional and minority
languages are included. One of the questions put forward in the discussion document concerns the ways in
which the Union could support Member States in promoting linguistic diversity.

C 161 E/224

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

10.7.2003

In parallel, the Commission has financed a major study on support for minority languages in Europe
which is now available on the web site of the Directorate General for Education and Culture (3).

The Commission has continued its financial support for the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages
and the Mercator Information Network.

(1) COM(2002) 597 final.
(2) SEC(2002) 1234 of 13 November 2002.
(3) http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/langmin.html.

(2003/C 161 E/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0528/03

by Regina Bastos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 February 2003)

Subject: Factory closures: ‘BAWO (cid:1) Confecções, Lda’, Estarreja (Portugal)

On 1 February 2003, the German firm operating in Estarreja (Portugal) under the name of ‘BAWO (cid:1)
Confecções, Lda’ attempted to remove its equipment at a time when the workers were on holiday, thus
giving rise to a controversy over the possible closure of the plant. There are strong grounds for suspecting
that the aim of this operation was to transfer the equipment to a factory owned by the same firm in Egypt.

On 10 February 2003, after the end of the ‘holiday’ period, BAWO did not resume operations, yet no
information was given concerning the future of the plant. This can only confirm the existing fears that the
plant will be closed and all of its 78 workers will be made redundant.

In view of these extraordinary circumstances, the Portuguese President, Jorge Sampaio, met, on his own
initiative, a delegation of BAWO workers. On that occasion, he stated:

We cannot accept the endless invocation of notions such as restructuring, conversion or change of
equipment purely to justify decisions to close down operations; … responsible modern management is
not compatible with secretive approaches or denying the real problems, especially when one is dealing
not with objects or numbers but with people.

In view of the recent wave of closures by multinational enterprises of their operations in Portugal, can the
Commission state:

(cid:1) whether BAWO, and in particular its plant in Estarreja,

‘BAWO (cid:1) Confecções, Lda’, has been a

recipient of Community funding;

(cid:1) if so, what sums were granted and when, and what conditions were required of the company;

(cid:1) what political measures it intends to take with a view to preventing, and ultimately penalising, similar
attitudes on the part of companies that operate behind a wall of secrecy and refuse all social
responsibility for their workers’ future?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(20 March 2003)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that the company in question has not
received Community funding from either the European Social Fund (ESF) or the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF).

The Commission wishes to point out that there are Community rules on preventing and dealing with
relocations, which relate both to the social aspect and to State aid, particularly where these are cofinanced
by the Structural Funds.