NPLD WELCOMES THE VOTE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ON THE ALTERNATIVE REPORT ON MULTILINGUALISM

 The Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity welcomes the decision of MEPs to endorse the alternative multilingualism resolution at plenary in the European Parliament on 24 March. This initiative shows the Parliament’s long term commitment to respect and support Europe’s citizens and the diversity of their languages. With 335 votes in favour, the alternative resolution overturned the “Multilingualism: an asset for Europe and a shared commitment” initial report which failed to treat Europe’s languages equally.

Strongly supported by the NPLD, the new alternative resolution was tabled by a coalition of political groups led by MEPs Maria Badia i Cutchet (PES), Mikel Irujo (EFA-Greens) and Ignasi Guardans (ALDE).

The NPLD fully endorses the principles raised in the report notably that there is a need, in Member States with more than one official language, to ensure full mutual intelligibility between those languages, especially in relation to senior citizens and to the legal system, health, administration and employment, and that there is a necessity to address the divide between multilingual and monolingual people.

The resolution welcomes the Commission’s proposal to promote ‘mother tongue plus two’ in education and calls for more prominence to be given to the European Day of Languages, a Council of Europe initiative held annually on 26 September to celebrate language and cultural diversity.