EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

NOTE FROM MR. MARK KILLILEA, DEPUTY OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, ABOUT THE CATALAN LINGUISTIC UNITY IN THE RESOLUTION FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ABOUT THE LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL MINORITIES IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

[On the 19th february 1994, the European Parliament adooted the resolution from the Irish deputy Mr. Mark Killilea about the linguistic and cultural minorities in the European Community (you can see the Mercator Bulletin number 5).
After this approval happenned a misumderstanding on the information included in the annex 1, connetly in the refference to the catalan speakers in the Valencian Country. In consequence of this, besun hard debat arround this mis take about the catalan language unity. The European Bureau for the Lesser Ussed Languages requested at Mr. Killilea to clear up his position abaut the question, we reproduce the letter's translation of this European deputy:]

On 9 February 1994 the European Parliament adopted my Resolution on linguistic and cultural minorities in the European Community by a majority of 318 to 1 (whith 6 members abstaining).

Subsequent to this, it was pointed out to me that an error had crept into annexe I of the report, which contains an overview of Europe's lesser used languages. Seemingly, the information on Catalan, as spocken in Valencia, had been separated from the main entry on Catalan and had been made in the mixing of documents in the secretariat of the Parliament and arose without the knowledge of my self or anyone of my staff.

In the original version of my report, which was published by the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media of the European Parliament on 13 October 1992, all varieties of Catalan were treated under one single heading, and the sociolinguistic situation of each region where the language is spoken was dealt with individually: the Autonomous Communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia, Roussillon (Pyrenées-Orientales) in France, and Alghero on Sardinia.

While recognising that the official status of Catalan varies from one administrative area to another, and while acknowledging that the official denomination of the language in Valencia is Valenciano, I unreservedly accept and support the unity of the Catalan language. I regret the controversy that has arisen out of the error in the annexe. It should be pointed out as well, that the European Paliament only voted on the Resolution, not on the explanatory statement, nor on any of the annexes.

I am convinced that my resolution is a very important document, setting out conditions which could prove not only useful, but even vital to Europe's lesser used languages. I feel it would be a pity if the main thrust of the document were forgotten in such unnecessary and acrimonious debate.

29 March 1994

Mark Killilea, MEP