EBLUL to draft article on linguistic diversity for IGC 2004

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Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2002 08:57:11 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: EBLUL to draft article on linguistic diversity for IGC 2004

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Margret Oberhofer <[email protected]>

EBLUL to draft article on linguistic diversity for IGC 2004


PRESS RELEASE

EBLUL gathered High Level Group of Experts to draft article about
linguistic diversity for IGC 2004

Brussels, 27.02.02 - Tomorrow the Convention of the European Union
will start in Brussels. Around 105 participants involved in the debate
on the future of the EU will meet in the capital of Belgium to prepare
the next inter-governmental conference (IGC) in 2004. The European
Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages (EBLUL) takes this event as an
opportunity to lobby for linguistic diversity in the European Union.

In a preparatory meeting last weekend in Bilbao, a High Level Group of
Experts gathered by EBLUL and the Basque government drafted several
proposals for promoting linguistic diversity, including lesser-used
languages, in the new treaties of the European Union. The different
high-class experts, hosted by the Basque government, have long-term
experiences in the minority field for the UN, the OSCE and the Council
of Europe. The place chosen also fitted the purpose of the meeting, as
Spain, who currently holds the EU-presidency, is a good example of
linguistic diversity within a state.

'The proposals elaborated last weekend would give the European Union
the instruments to deal with cultural and linguistic diversity, while
maintaining the legislative competence within the member states',
explains Bojan Brezigar, President of EBLUL. 'It would be extremely
useful and to some extent necessary for the Union - especially in the
light of enlargement - to have common EU standards to develop
linguistic diversity. But we realize that nowadays any realistic
solution should keep in mind the tendency of the European states not
to increase the power of the Union. We should therefore fully respect
the principle of subsidiary. This is also the political view EBLUL
will hold during its initiatives at the Convention.'

The proposals that the High Level Group agreed on will now be
discussed in a wider circle of minority experts, European politicians
and interested organisations. Their amendments will be integrated in
the final draft, which will be handed over to the participants of the
Convention. 'The Convention is a historical occasion for Europe. Now,
before the enlargement, it is the right moment for the European Union
to discuss these issues and to develop good policies for its future.
These policies should enhance the cultural and linguistic diversity,
as one of basic elements of the common European heritage', Brezigar
says.

The package containing EBLUL's proposals on linguistic diversity in
the European Union will be presented in a press conference in the
European Parliament in Strasbourg on the 14th of March 2002. For
further information, please don't hesitate to contact EBLUL.

EUROPEAN BUREAU FOR
LESSER USED LANGUAGES (EBLUL)
www.eblul.org

Rue Saint-Josse 49/Sint-Jooststraat 49
B-1210 Bruxelles/Brussel

TEL: 0032/2/ 250 31 64
FAX: 0032/2/ 218 19 74

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