[Versió no oficial en anglès / Unofficial version in English]

PROTECTION, VALORIZATION AND PROMOTION OF THE LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF VENETO

Art. 1 – Objectives.
1. The Veneto Region, exercising articles 2 and 4 of its Statute, aiming to favor the protection and valorization of the Venet (Venetian) linguistic heritage, an essential component of its cultural, social, historical and civic identity, with this law it dictates the fundamental principles toward the realization of such policy.

Art. 2 – Protection of the Venet (Venetian) language.
1. Venet (Venetian) is historically the language of the Venet (Venetian) people.
2. The Veneto Region considers the protection, valorization and the promotion of the Venet (Venetian) cultural and linguistic heritage a central matter for the development of regional autonomy.

Art. 3 – European context.
1. The Veneto Region, recognizing that the protection and promotion of various local or minority languages represent and important contribution to the building of a Europe founded on principles of democracy and respect of cultural diversity, maintains and develops the traditions present in its territory.
2. Within the limits of the statute’s competence, the Region considers the protection and promotion of the languages traditionally spoken in its territory as a precise obligation toward the community of European people.

Art. 4 – Support for the principles of the European Paper
1. Given the jurisdiction of the State in accordance with international treaties, the Region, exercising its primary competence on cultural matters, finds inspiration for this act in the following principles stated in the European Paper of regional or minority languages:
a. Regional or minority languages constitute a cultural treasure;
b. A determined action of promotion of regional languages is necessary for the goal of preserving them;
c. It is imperative to facilitate and encourage the written and spoken aspects of regional languages with its diverse expressions present in social life;
d. It is a must to promote studies and researches on regional languages;
e. Finally, it should be made available, within the regional competences, adequate means and methods for the teaching and the study of regional languages in all the appropriate levels.

Art. 5 – Holiday of the Venet (Venetian) people.
1. With the purpose of favoring the knowledge of Venet (Venetian) history, to make the most of this original linguistic heritage, to show its cultural values, customs and public spirit, its roots and prospective, as well as to adequately make known the Statute and the Regional symbols, the “Holiday of the Venet (Venetian) People” is established. This holiday occurs on April 25th, the day of Saint Mark (protector of Venice).
2. The regional council establishes annually the required actions needed to fulfill and show the way to such goals, in particular among the younger generations and in coordination with the competent State facilities in schools of all levels.

Art. 6 – Knowledge and diffusion of the Venet (Venetian) linguistic heritage.
1. The Region promotes:
a. Teaching and learning;
b. Promotion throughout the media (newspapers, radio, television, internet);
c. Artistic expression;
d. Publishing and circulation of books and publications;
e. Organizing of specific sections in public libraries;
f. Research;
g. Organizing activities and meetings, aiming at promoting the use and knowledge of the original Venet (Venetian) linguistic heritage.
2. The Region promotes, in addition, in coordination with public and private networks the development of cultural and informative programs on the Venet (Venetian) language.
3. The townships, the mountain communities, the associations that bring forward programs or initiatives aiming toward such objectives may present a request for financing according to the process described in Article 10.

Art. 7 – Promotion of research.
1. The Region promotes, also in collaboration with the universities in Veneto and with other qualified departments and public and private cultural centers, the scientific research on the original linguistic heritage of Veneto, and favors the creation of research institutes committed to the research and valorization of the cultural heritage of the individual linguistic communities.
2. With this goal the regional council deliberates, based on proposal made by entities described in comma 1 and consulted the competent regional commission, yearly and multi-year programs of research and establishes scholarships and annual prizes for university thesis that regard the history the culture and the Venet (Venetian) linguistic historical heritage.

Art. 8 – Primary activites.
1. The Veneto Region:
a. Promotes, in coordination with the Centri Servizi Amministrativi (CSA), with regard to school teaching, courses for formation and updating directed toward teachers of all levels, with the objective to provide an effective knowledge of the Venet (Venetian) linguistic and cultural heritage; this courses are to be financed by the region;
b. Promotes in coordination with the Centri Servizi Amministrativi (CSA), optional courses on history, culture and Venet (Venetian) language; such courses are to be financed by the Region for distinct scholastic levels;
c. Collects the documentation produced during researches described in Article 7 or received according to the conformities described in Article 13 and deposits them in the library of the regional council promoting the publication and diffusion.
2. The Region organizes an annual prize for written works in Venet (Venetian).
3. The Region organizes also, in coordination and with the collaboration with the competent institutions of the State, a contest in schools of all levels on the original Venet (Venetian) linguistic heritage.

Art. 9 – Toponomastics
1. The Region promotes and supports studies on the toponomastics according to the process described in Article 7 and contributes to the initiatives promoted by the townships and their organizations, according to the process described in Article 13.
2. The demands for contributions of the townships and their organizations for an eventual restoration of the original toponomastic, linked to the original languages of Veneto, are submitted for a mandatory consultation with a Regional Commission of Experts, designated by the Regional Counselor for Culture, which is comprised of:
a. A university expert of linguistics
b. A university expert on local geography
c. An expert on regional history, designated by the Deputazione Venete di Storia e Patria;
d. A representative of the Sovraintendenza ai Beni Ambientali ed Architettonici del Veneto;

Art. 10 – Official writing of the Venet (Venetian) language.
1. In order to reach the objectives of Article 1, the Region, through a Commission of experts, will determine the official writing style and will promote the knowledge and use.
2. Within one hundred and twenty days from the establishment of this current law, the President of the Regional Council, will hear a scientific commission, as described in comma 3, and will adopt with proper decree the official writing rules and style.
3. With this objective, within thirty days from the establishment of this current law, the President of the Council, will nominate with proper decree a scientific commission for the official writing style of the Venet (Venetian) language, comprised of:
a. Three professors, with specific knowledge, representing the universities of Veneto;
b. Three authors of poems in Venet language and a representative of magazine or newspaper specialized in such matter.
4. The commission’s head office at the Regional Council and can use the collaboration of university departments, public and private research centers, as well as external experts according to the requirements provided by law.
5. The responsibility of the commission’s secretary is to provide the appropriate support with personnel made available by the Regional Council.

With the objective to spread the chosen writing style, the region will be in charge of the publication and the transmission of the scientific documents prepared by such commission

Art. 11 – Use of the official Venet (Venetian) writing style.
1. The Region, the local townships and their respective organizations will support courses and schools in which the official writing is taught and the publication of scholastic material, or of scholastic use, that uses such writing rules.
2. The publication and the documents in Venet (Venetian) language of the region, of the local townships and of the respective organizations, the updating of the toponomastics mentioned in Article 9, are to be written in the official writing style.

Art. 12 – Regional information.
1. The region is committed to reserve its own publications to periodicals with general information with space open to the collaboration of qualified institutes, made for presenting the original Venet (Venetian) linguistic heritage or anyway with the objective of promoting its use and knowledge.

Art. 13 – Procedures.
1. The subjects discussed in Article 7 that plan to use such law will present a request by September 30th of each year to the President of the Region.
2. The requests, signed by the legal representative of the applicant body, are to be prepared as follows:
a. Program of activities for which the financing is required;
b. Expected expenses;
c. Eventual discussion on the cultural activities previously undertaken on such matter.
3. The recipients of such financing must present, within a year from the date of the of the funding, a documentation of the activity undertaken as approved by the financing.
4. In case of unachieved goals of such requirements, the Regional Council, after careful review, may revoke the assigned fundings.

Art. 14 – Financing rules.
1. To the responsibilities derived from the application of this law 250 thousand euro are assigned to a fund named “initiatives for the protection, valorization and promotion of the Venet (Venetian) language”.