Protection of minority languages in Europe

Subject: Protection of minority languages in Europe

The protection of numerous minority languages in Europe must remain among the priorities of the European Union. The EU has undertaken a constant commitment for the enhancement of minority languages, including support for the Minority SafePack Initiative, with the objective of committing itself to establishing Union-wide legal standards for the protection of ethnic-linguistic minorities.

Italy, for instance, has three officially recognised minorities, namely German, French and Slovene speakers.

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is the legally binding instrument dedicated to the protection and promotion of historical, regional and minority languages in Europe. Along with the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, designed to protect the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, the Charter constitutes Europe’s commitment to the protection of national minorities.

Regional and minority languages are part of the European cultural heritage, and their safeguarding represents a considerable contribution to building a Europe based on the principles of democracy and cultural diversity.

Language is a tool for expressing identity and culture, but linguistic diversity remains a challenging issue. The marginalisation of disadvantaged linguistic communities, for instance those speaking the Romani language, must be properly addressed.

Which additional measures does the Commission intend to adopt for the protection of linguistic minorities in Europe?

Answer given by Ms Jourová on behalf of the European Commission

(26 July 2018)

The respect of the rights of persons belonging to minorities is one of the founding values of the European Union and is a principle explicitly mentioned in the Treaty on European Union. Moreover, any discrimination on the basis of membership of a national minority is explicitly prohibited under Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

Within the remit of its competences, the Commission ensures that fundamental rights are respected when EC law is implemented.

However, the Commission has no general power as regards minorities, in particular over issues relating to the recognition of the status of minorities or the regime governing the use of regional or minority languages.

In these cases Member States retain general powers to take decisions about minorities, as according to Article 51(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the provisions of the Charter are only addressed to the Member States when they are implementing EC law. It is thus for Member States to ensure compliance with their constitutional order and their obligations under international law.

With regard to the promotion of regional and minority language, the European Union has the role of supporting and supplementing Member State action. In this respect, the Commission has adopted recently a proposal for a new Recommendation (1) on a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning languages. This new initiatives highlights the importance of valuing linguistic diversity in schools, including with reference to minority or migrant languages, and offers a comprehensive approach to improving language education in schools.

⋅1∙ https://ec.europa.eu/education/initiatives/european-education-area/improving-the-teaching-and-learning-of-languages_en | | ( | | )