MINELRES: Mercator Newsletter 3 - July 2003

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Mercator Newsletter 3 - July 2003

Mercator-Education
Mercator-Legislation
Mercator-Media]

July 2003 
June 2003 
May 2003 

News (links to the Mercator-websites) 

July
Low viewing figures pose threat to TV Breizh [+]
Internet Television Channel Plans to Launch Breton Broadcast [+]
Slovene government remains concerned about Radio dva and Radio Agora [+]
Balearic Islands: new decree to reduce Catalan language requirements for
administration staff (Diari de Balears) [+]
EBNER report on EU minority languages moves ahead, although cut out [+]
Appeal lodged with the European Court of Human Rights against the French
state (Celtic League/Conseil Culturel de Bretagne) [+]
Aragonese language law again in the political agenda
(www.mallorcaweb.net/catalarago) [+]
Ireland adopts official languages act (gaelport.com) [+]
Regional government?s proposals for promotion of Asturian language under
criticism (exunta.org) [+]
 
June
Friuli-Venezia Giulia Regional Government website in Friulan, Slovene
and German [+]
New Catalan Free E-mail Service [+]
Turkey improves minority language rights with a view to EU-accession
(Turkish Daily News) [+]
Spanish administration to include Catalan, Basque and Galician in its
websites  (e-noticies / El Peri俣o) [+]
Ukrainian parliament finally ratifies European Charter for Regional or
Minority Languages (RFE/RL & Public Radio) [+]
National minorities in Romania will be allowed to speak their mother
tongue before the court (Minelres) [+]
Revised texts of parts I, II, III and IV of European draft constitution
are ready [+]

May
Italy will soon ratify European Charter of Languages (INT) [+]

Low viewing figures pose threat to TV Breizh
There is concern that the the private satellite television channel for
Brittany, TV Breizh, may be taken under the direct control of the
private French channel TF1, which is one of its major shareholders, and
thereby lose its regional identity. The channel, established in 2000 and
with an annual budget of 12 million euros has not achieved the target
set by the director general of TF1 in the spring, namely a doubling of
the number of viewers between the beginning of the year and the summer.
The six-monthly survey carried out by Mediametrie and published on the 8
July gives the channel an 0.4% share of the audience, exactly the same
result as six months previously.

Some question whether or not a regional satellite channel is viable, if
measured at national level. There had been hopes that the channel might
obtain a terrestrial frequency available in Nantes and do likewise with
other local frequncies in Roazhon (Rennes), Brest, Kemper (Quimper) etc.
However, the Nantes frequency was allocated during July to a competing
bid.

TV Breizh broadcasts two or three hours of Breton per day, predominantly
children?s programmes. This represented an important increase on the
number of hours of Breton broadcast by the state regional channel F3,
which, moreover, broadcasts very little in Breton for children in
particular. However, the channel has attracted controversy from the
start and has disappointed some who had hoped for a more substantial
amount of programming in Breton

Internet Television Channel Plans to Launch Breton Broadcast
Tÿlÿouest, a regional television channel based in Nantes, Brittany,
and broadcasting weekly, by means of the internet and satellite, is
seeking partners and a presenter for the launch of a Breton language
broadcast. The broadcast would be divided into two parts, one dedicated
to a review of the regional press and the other to reports on Breton
culture. The aim is to launch the programme in January and it will be
open to advertising, which, it is hoped, will bring in revenue. Those
interested should contact Mikael Buffard at mikael@teleouest.net.
Tÿlÿouest was has been broadcasting since 28 November 2002. and hopes
to increse the frequency of some of its programmes after one year. More
information about the channel can be found at
http://www.teleouest.net. 

Slovene government remains concerned about Radio dva and Radio Agora
The Slovene government appears increasingly concerned about the fate of
two Slovene-language radio stations in Carinthia, Austria, namely Radio
dva and Radio Agora. According to the Slovene press agency STA, the
Slovene foreign ministry issued a statement during July noting that
Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel had repeatedly warned his Austrian
counterpart Benita Ferrero-Waldner that termination of Austrian
financial support of the radios would constitute a "serious threat? to
the Slovene minority in Carinthia. The ministry also noted that Prime
Minister Anton Rop had raised the question on a number of occasions with
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel.

The Slovene statement concluded by noting that the Slovene government
would carefully monitor Austria?s reports to the European Council on
implementation of the convention on minorities and continue to defend
the Slovene minority's rights. 
Source: http://www.hrvatskicentar.at/

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Regional Government website in Friulan, Slovene
and German
The Autonomous Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in North-eastern Italy, is
renewing its institutional website. It will be restyled and will not
only be in Italian but also in the other languages traditionally spoken
in the region: Friulan, Slovene and German. The new version will be on
line at the end of September. The homepage will offer all of its
contents in the four languages of the region.

Editors and technicians are working on it's content and layout. They are
cooperating with the Regional Service for linguistic and cultural
identities in order to give to every linguistic community the services
they need, according to national legislation (Laws 482/1999 and
38/2001)', explains Guido Baggi, editor in chief of the Regional
Information Agency (ARC).

The decision to open new multilingual web pages is a new and positive
signal coming from the Regional administration, after the inaugural
session of new Regional Parliament, where thirteen deputies swore in
their mother tongues 'to be faithful to the Republic' and to practise
their office 'only for the common good of the State and the Region'. The
new President, Riccardo Illy, explaining his government's tasks and
goals, said that 'the Region has to promote different identities, their
story, language and culture' and 'the implementation of minority
legislation makes it a key step to building a European Union based on
citizenship and democracy'.

The promotion of multilingualism and protection of linguistic rights in
Friuli-Venezia Giulia has been an important topic in the regional
political debate since the beginning of this year. There was the
celebration of the 40th anniversary of regional autonomy, and during the
regional elections, when Friulan, Slovene and German-speaker group had a
campaign to put multilingualism and linguistic rights on the political
agenda. (EL) 
Source: www.eurolang.net

New Catalan Free E-mail Service
CorreuCatal� .com is a new tool, similar to Hotmail, aimed at web users
requiring a complete free email service in Catalan. At present,
CorreuCatal� .com already offers an electronic address book in a Catalan
environment, and a 15 MB e-box. The account includes, moreover, a
personal organizer containing a diary, a to-do list, favourite contacts
and bookmarks, and a pad, as well as the option of working together with
other CorreuCatal� .com users. The webmail engine is based on an open
source application, TWIG, suitably adapted and translated into Catalan.

At a later stage, the service designers plan to provide support for POP3
and IMAP, to add a distribution list engine, and to allow for scheduled
to-dos being received over SMS by the cell phone the moment they are
due.
Source: www.vilaweb.com

Publications 
Bulletin 54 - Mercator Legislation
II Quarter 2003 | English and Catalan versions
Constitutional Law on the Rights of National Minorities, December, 13,
2003 Croatia 
Act 3/2003 of March 26th, on the legal system of the administration of
the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands 
Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, of
January 15, 2003 on the implementation of the Framework Convention for
the Protection of National Minorities Germany 
Dossier 14 - Mercator Legislation
English and Catalan versions

The Amazigh language within Morocco's language policy

II International Symposium 
Given the significance of the year 2004 for the future of the European
Union and, more specifically, the new linguistic policy deriving from
the adoption of the new Constitutional Treaty, the II Mercator
International Symposium will aim at a critical assessment of the role
assigned to minority or regional languages within the new European
order. The event will also focus on the way in which 'respect for
linguistic diversity' (Art. 3.3 and Art. 22 of the Charter of
Fundamental Rights) will be reflected in the European Union's new
policies and actions.

The Symposium will also seek to focus on how the voice of minority
language communities will be heard within the future European Union, as
well as on the possible role of the Committee of the Regions, despite
the fact that the draft text submitted by the European Convention 2004
has yet to define the role of the ?regions?, particularly those which
have their own language and their own legislative powers.

Another essential element to be taken into account when thinking about
the future of these languages is the Council of Europe and its European
Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML). There is a need to
appraise the effect of this international instrument 'the only binding
and most explicit document concerning these languages' on Community
policies dealing with non-official languages of the EU and with
languages which are not explicitly recognised or do not receive adequate
institutional support from the state.

The Symposium will include four thematic areas:

Conclusions and possible consequences of the work carried out by the
European Convention 2004: the principles of language policy in the new
Constitutional Treaty, the asset of 'linguistic diversity', the
representation of the communities of speakers of non-official languages
within the EU. What role has been played by languages that do not enjoy
the status of a state language?  The ECRML as a possible development of
Article 22 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, given that
most of the member states have ratified it (Austria, Denmark, Finland,
Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom). The
principles of the ECRML and present and future community programmes and
actions in the spheres of education, language learning, the media and
the cultural industries. Language minorities and the requirements for
EU-accession: why a double standard? The consequences and the
institutional changes introduced by the Union's enlargement. 
Place: 
University Rovira I Virgili (Tarragona - Catalonia - Spain)
Dates: February 27-28
Languages of the symposium: Catalan, Spanish and English
Contact: mercator@ciemen.org cdoc@ciemen.org


Miscellany
Network of Schools
Our network of pre-primary and primary schools is growing steadily.
Until now about 25 schools from over 10 different language communities
have joined our network. Basic information on the schools including some
pictures as well as more specific information on how minority languages
are taught and what difficulties might arise when teaching these
languages can be found in our network. 

Please contact us if you wish to participate in or be a member of this
network. We are also very interested in experiences of parents whose
children receive bi- and/or trilingual education. Please feel free to
send us your stories to be published on our website. To view the current
status of our network please log on to the 'Network of Schools' section
on our website or have a look at an online presentation of the project
in English or German.
Research on regional educational backwardness
The Fryske Akademy has conducted a large scale research into the
achievements of Frisian students in primary (and secondary) education.
The results of the study, due to be published in september 2003, show
that primary school students in Fryslân lag behind in Dutch language
proficiency and mathematical skills, compared with students in the rest
of The Netherlands. The research shows that the lag in mathematical
skills relates to a number of school characteristics, such as school
size, teachers' didactic approach and time expenditure.

In the next phase of the study, which will be finalised in June 2004,
further research will be done on the relation between school
achievements in Fryslân individual characteristics of the primary
school students, such as their language background. With an eye to this
stage of the research, we are also interested in comparing the Frisian
results to those obtained in other European minority language
communities. Who can give us information about relevant research
conducted in other areas? Please contact Bernie van Ruijven, the
responsible researcher at the Fryske Akademy (bvruijven@fa.knaw.nl).

New Titles - Mercator Education

...........

Books - Mercator Legislation
Available!!! Linguistic Enclaves in the European Union. V International
Symposium on European Languages and Legislation (Miranda do Douro, April
2002), with articles in Mirandese, Portuguese, Spanish and English. 

These are publications in paper format. If you want to purchase a copy
(cost: € 9 + post expenses), please contact: mercator@ciemen.org or
visit us.
For more information about us, please visit Mercator-Legislation's
website.

http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/index-gb.htm
http://www.aber.ac.uk/~merwww/