InterpretingThe main task of the European Parliament's interpreters is to render orally the speeches given by MEPs faithfully and in real time into all the official languages. Interpreting services are provided for all multilingual meetings organised by the official bodies of the institution. Whereas translators work with the written word, translating documents into the various languages in which they are required, interpreters are there to ensure that meetings can take place smoothly as if everyone present were speaking the same language. |  |
The European Parliament's Directorate-General for Interpretation and Conferences employs approximately 430 staff interpreters and has at its disposal a reserve of some 2500 freelance interpreters (auxiliary conference interpreters) whom it calls on very regularly as required to cover its needs. Interpreting is needed mainly for: - plenary sittings;
- meetings of EP committees, parliamentary delegations, joint parliamentary assemblies;
- meetings of political groups;
- press conferences;
- meetings of Parliament's governing bodies (Bureau, Conference of Presidents, etc.).
Between 800 and 1000 interpreters are on hand for the plenary sittings of Parliament, at which simultaneous interpretation is provided from and into all the EU's official languages. For other meetings, interpretation is provided as required, increasingly often to other than official languages too. In principle, each interpreter works into his/her mother tongue out of the original language of the speaker. But with 506 possible language combinations (23 x 22 languages), it is not always easy to find someone who can interpret from a given language into another and in such cases a relay system is used, whereby the interpretation from one language to another passes through a third, the 'pivot' or relay language. | 
RSS
Print
Site map
Contact
Legal notice
