WRITTEN QUESTION E-0864/04 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Linguistic diversity.
Date: 2004-03-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, accession to the European Union, cultural pluralism, linguistic discrimination, linguistic group, minority language, protection of minorities

C 88 E/238

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

In theory, all firms which purchased, at the minimum price, a quantity of raw materials exceeding the
quota allocated at the beginning of the marketing year benefited from the additional quotas;

In theory, all firms which had said that they were willing to conclude contracts for additional quantities
would have been eligible for the additional quotas.

(1) Decision 2004/136/EC: Commission Decision of 4 February 2004 excluding from Community financing certain
expenditure incurred by the Member States under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and
Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).

(2004/C 88 E/0240)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0864/04

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Linguistic diversity

With reference to my question E-2825/03 (1) of 23 September 2003 and the answer of 23 October 2003
given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission, I should like to put the following supplementary
question.

The Copenhagen criteria cite the protection of minority languages as one aspect of a good minority policy.
Will this no longer apply after accession? How do the European Union and the European Commission
intend to monitor this in practice?

(1) OJ C 65 E, 13.3.2004, p. 225.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

From 1 May 2004 the Acceding Countries will become full Member States of the European Union.
The framework that applies will therefore no longer be the Copenhagen Accession Criteria, but rather, the
Union’s standard working arrangements.

In this context, and as set out in Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the Union is founded
on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are
common to the Member States. If there is a serious or persistent breach of the principles, 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.

Those rights have been solemnly reaffirmed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Article 21(1) refers to the prohibition of discrimination based, among other things, on ethnic origin,
language, religion or membership of a national minority, and Article 22 requires that the Union respect
cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.

(2004/C 88 E/0241)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0868/04

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Large families

In its most recent report with a view to the Spring European Council, ‘Delivering Lisbon (cid:1) Reforms for
the Enlarged Union’ (1), the Commission pointed out (in point 2.4.1 on reinforcing social cohesion) that
the phenomenon of poverty ‘is very closely linked to unemployment as it affects 38 % of the unemployed.
Large families, elderly women living alone, and single-parent (71 % of whom are women) families’.