June 2006

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WELSH GOVERNMENT CALLS FOR USE OF WELSH IN EUROPE (Eurolang)

June 2006 - Following the decision made by EU Foreign Affairs Ministers to give citizens the possibility of using additional languages in their relations with the EU institutions, the Welsh Assembly Government Ministers and officials are discussing the practicalities with regard to Welsh with the UK Government and the European Institutions.

Once the outstanding practical issues are resolved, then the UK Government could start formal negotiations which, if successful, will mean that; Welsh could be used in speeches at the Council of Ministers and plenary sessions of the Committee of the Regions (CoR). Also it would mean that correspondence to the CoR, the Council and the Commission in Welsh would be answered in Welsh; and that European legislation translated into Welsh may be sent to the Council for addition to its archives.

The Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language, Alun Pugh said: "If the Assembly Government’s proposals are accepted, then the Assembly Government will be responsible for bearing the costs of translation". Such an arrangement contrasts with those made for Catalan, Basque and Galician languages where the Spanish government covers the costs and not the autonomous governments.