Minority languages in Europe

Geneva, 17.03.03 - 25.04.03 - Written Statement by the Society for Threatened Peoples
In the European Union 40 million people speak minority languages. 2001 was the European Year of Languages. As part of this Year of Action the Council of Europe for the first time provided support for minority languages through targeted projects.

The European Parliament has asked the European Commission to carry out an overall evaluation of the European Year of Languages paying particular regard to minority languages. By the end of 2003 the Commission should have drawn up a pluri-annual programme for languages which includes budgetary provision for "Regional and lesser-used languages".

Although initiatives of this kind are welcome they are not enough in themselves to save minority languages from the risk of extinction. Support for minority languages will be guaranteed only if minorities and languages are recognised in the E.U.'s constitution. They must also be included in the revised Treaty of Union.

"Languages skills are important for mutual understanding and democratic stability, according to the declaration issued by the European Council and the E.U. in connection with the Year of Languages. Although the European Council pays respect to multilingualism in Europe in its Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the Charter on Regional and Minority Languages, to date the E.U. has done nothing worth mentioning to take account of the principle in its own treaties and conventions. The Treaty of Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights refer to linguistic diversity. However this has not helped minorities to secure any rights, such as the right to the official use of one's own language, for example.

Disregarding the European Year of Languages Greece prevented the setting-up of a Committee of the "European Bureau for Lesser-used Languages", which has E.U. support. The Greek authorities take members of the national minorities to court for distributing the information bulletins published by the European Bureau for lesser used languages. Minority language speakers often consider themselves to be second-class citizens and fear that they are the last generation keeping their languages alive. A survey of minority-group members has found that many choose to conceal their proper identity when applying for a job, on the assumption that their minority status will prejudice the chance of their obtaining employment. Minority languages are unrepresented in the media. That is why for example members of the Macedonian-speaking minority choose to listen to broadcasts from Macedonia.

In France the constitutional courts have ruled against ratifying the Charter on Regional and Minority Languages and with it recognition of the country's multilingual status. The results of a survey of 380,000 French citizens reveal that the parents of 26% or 11.5 million French citizens use a language other than French. Roughly half speak a minority language and half a foreign language. Nevertheless in December 2002 the Council of State decided that French should be the only language used for teaching purposes. The decision has caused much disappointment, particularly in Britanny where there are a large number of model schools offering a bilingual education in Breton and French. Other areas are affected as well - 8,679 students receive bilingual education in Alsatian, 3,509 in Occitan, 766 in Catalan. The decision poses a considerable threat to the survival of those languages, particularly given the general profile of most minority language speakers - more than half of all Breton speakers are over 65 and 75% are over 50, and the findings of a survey of Alsatian speakers are similar. Minorities in Italy, Austria and Germany also complain of various forms of discrimination.

Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker /Society for Threatened Peoples urges the U.N. Commission for Human Rights:

 

• to monitor the position of minority languages in Europe;

• to call on the Greek government to acknowledge Greece's multilingual status, to allow minority language speakers to promote their languages and develop own-language media, and to provide for the opening of an office of the European Bureau for Lesser-used Languages;