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European Parliament - never lost in translation |
| Institutions - 29-10-2007 - 12:02 |
The EU is a community of 27 countries, whose unity and diversity is expressed via 23 official languages, as well as plethora of other national, regional and local languages. It is home to nearly 500 million people with diverse ethnic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Multilingualism contributes to European values of democracy and equality. The European Parliament is committed to debate and discussion in all EU languages. The reason for this and how it is achieved is explained in this focus.
Preserving this unique linguistic diversity is a big challenge. As the EU has recently started operating in 23 languages, it is worth looking at the meaning of multilingualism, its benefits and its costs.
The EU is a "multicultural, multilingual democracy" and it uses three alphabets: Latin, Greek and Cyrillic. To set the stage for the rest of our article here are a few statistics about multilingualism and its costs:
- For 2006 the cost of translation in all EU institutions is estimated at €800 million, in 2005: the total cost of interpretation was almost €190 million.
- Multilingualism expenditure represents over one third of the total expenditure of Parliament.
- The EP translated 673,000 pages during the first half of 2007 (165,000 of them externally).
- Since 2005 the EP has translated over a million pages a year.
- EU system on average requires over 2000 translators and 80 interpreters per day.
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From 4 to 23 Community languages | |
The EU - a truly multilingual entity - is sometimes characterised as a complex and growing Tower of Babel. But this is to miss the point - linguistic diversity is about ensuring understanding between the institutions and citizens. Indeed, it is one of the democratic foundations on which the EU is based. When joining, each country stipulates which language(s) it wants declared as official languages of the EU, and then the complete list of official languages is agreed by EU governments.
Each EU enlargement is thus a linguistic and cultural enlargement. It is not insignificant that the regulation laying down the official languages was the EU's first - Regulation no. 1 of 1958.
On 1 January 2007 the EU family grew to 23 official languages. Irish, although for an initial period its use is limited, became the 21st official language and the accession of Bulgaria and Romania brought the number to 23. They are: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Romanian, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish and Swedish.
Accountability, accessibility and transparency
The legitimacy of the EU institutions is based on their accountability, accessibility and transparency. Many citizens speak only one language, so the EU must ensure they have access to legislation, procedures and information in their national tongue and can communicate with all the institutions in any of the official languages.
Each and every elected representative in the EP has the right to speak, hear, read and write in the official language of their choice. This helps guarantee the full and fair representation of all citizens by allowing us to be represented not by the best linguists, but by the best political representatives, while some of the best European professionals assist them with interpretation and translation.
No other regional or global body uses so many official languages. "There is no other international organisation with as many, even half as many, languages as we have,“ notes Olga Cosmidou, Head of the Parliament's Interpretation Directorate. "In Europe, where we have the model of multicultural society, interpretation is a basic need. “
No other body spends as much on translation and interpretation and yet in relative terms the costs remains fairly small. | | |
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Linguistic equality means no language is "more equal than others". The EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees respect for linguistic diversity and discrimination on the grounds of language is prohibited, whether a citizen is from a small or large state. Our regularly updated EP website aims to provide a gateway to information in your language.
Linguistic equality is paramount
The EU couldn't function without high quality translation and interpretation. And while it isn't easy to work in 23 languages, linguistic equality is paramount. Irish translation of selected secondary legislation and interpretation in the EP plenary sessions was ensured from 1 January 2007. Bulgarian and Romanian linguists were employed before their countries joined the EU to allow observers from those countries to work in their mother tongue.
Interpretation during plenary is provided from 23 language booths, each housing 3 interpreters. "Even if MEPs can speak English, French or German once it comes to political speech (nuance) they need to have access to the full range of language that you generally only get with your mother tongue," said Ms Cosmidou
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European Parliament - the champion of multilingualism | |
According to the EP's Rules of procedure "all documents of Parliament shall be drawn up in the official languages" and "all Members shall have the right to speak in Parliament in the official language of their choice". Each enlargement increases linguistic diversity and, consequently, the number of translators and interpreters. The European Parliament, the Council of Ministers, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions use every official language of the EU.
Also the creation of a Commissioner for multilingualism on 1 January 2007 shows the importance that the EU executive pays to this issue.
High linguistic quality and efficiency
As the world’s largest employer of interpreters and translators (along with the Commission), who account for one third (around 1,500 people) of its staff, the European Parliament is the champion of multilingualism, with interpretation guaranteed for plenary sessions, meetings of the governing body and for committee and delegations as far as possible. Of course the expanding power of the EP and growing number of languages increases the workload. Professional interpreters, translators and other administrators, such as lawyers-linguists ensure the highest linguistic quality and accuracy.
What is the secret to coping with the addition of new languages? "Years of preparation and planning, highly motivated experienced managers and staff - and enthusiastic new translators and managers" says Helmut Spindler, Director of the Translation Directorate. To that you have to add the mix of "coaching and life long professional training...efficient use of linguistic resources, innovative approaches and a combination of internal and well controlled external resources."
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The spoken and written word | |
Quality and accuracy is essential to ensure a transparent decision-making process, and the key to that is clear and concise original texts and speeches. Revision, checking and supervision guarantee good quality translations, while consistency in terminology is ensured by translation memories and databases of Community-relevant terminology.
506 possible bilateral language combinations
Of over 2 million pages translated annually in the EU institutions the lion's share is done by the EP. After the 2004 enlargement demand for translations grew more than fivefold.
In principle, translation in the EP is done by native speakers. It uses a relay (pivot) system through the most used languages. So a document in a less widely spoken language won't necessarily be translated directly into all other languages - it is likely to first be translated into one of the more widely known relay languages and then into other languages.
This removes the need for translators able to work directly with 506 possible bilateral language combinations, which would be required for direct translations from each official EU language into all the others.
Interpretation relays
As the range of subjects covered in parliamentary debates is virtually unlimited, an interpreter is required to have good general EU knowledge and expertise in almost all areas of EU activity from sensitive foreign policy issues to types of fish. Simultaneous translation is an extremely complex process, especially during plenary sessions given the limited speaking time allocated to MEPs.
Interpretation is provided at the Parliament's three places of work (Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg) and elsewhere, for example for interparliamentary delegations. The more languages, the more complicated interpreting becomes. The Parliament has around 400 permanent interpreters who can be joined by the same number of free-lancers during the busiest periods.
A complete interpretation team for a meeting with 23 active and passive languages requires 69 interpreters, each 3-person booth directly covering as many languages as possible. The number of interpreters available to work from some of the lesser-spoken languages can be limited, so the team relies on pivot-interpreters, from whom a relay translation is. In other cases, particularly for the newer member states, interpreters might work into and out of their mother tongue, which is known as "retour" or "bi-active" interpretation. | | |
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The benefits of multilingualism clearly outweigh the work and expense incurred and achieving it is a democratic duty for the Parliament. The European Union institutions run the largest interpreting and translation service in the world to ensure the very basis of the Union. An EU with a supranational lingua franca would alienate citizens from the EU institutions. Hence, the institutions strive to promote linguistic and cultural diversity within and outside their walls and try to avoid "Euro-speak".
Having said all that, neither the costs nor the practical difficulties of achieving linguistic equality can or should be ignored. Each successive EU enlargement increases them, not only in terms of finding sufficiently qualified linguistic staff, but also in terms of infrastructure – for example meeting rooms fitted out with sufficient interpreters' booths.
Thus enlargements have generated a powerful push towards greater efficiency in the operation of multilingualism. For example, the general rule that translators and interpreters work only into their mother tongue is slowly transforming. The whole approach to translating and interpreting changes as the work becomes more demanding and challenging.
A pragmatic approach
While full translation and interpretation is guaranteed for Plenary Sessions and all official documents adopted by the House and its constituent bodies, there is a more flexible approach for preparatory documents and meetings, where all documents may not necessarily be translated into all languages or interpretation provided into all languages. Parliamentary committees, for example establish "linguistic profiles" of their membership so that only languages actually needed by their members are used. For many smaller meetings, members may themselves agree on pragmatic grounds to work in a limited number of languages, or sometimes just in one.
This pragmatic approach is reflected in recent EP legislation. The Parliament's 2006 Code of Conduct on Multilingualism says the use of "controlled full multilingualism", based on needs communicated in advance and prioritized for users, is the only way to maintain linguistic equality while keeping costs within acceptable budgetary limits and ensuring equality among Members and citizens.
The EP also adopted a resolution, based on a report by Finnish EPP-ED MEP Alexander Stubb, about spending on interpretation and ways to improve working methods. While underlining that multilingualism and the ability to understand other speakers in the EP is crucial for European democracy, it highlights areas in which savings could be made by increasing awareness of interpretation costs, reducing last-minute cancellations and stand-by time for interpreters and optimally managing needs and resources. In 2003 16% of interpretation costs went on standby or services supplied but not used.
In the resolution on the draft budget for 2007 MEPs acknowledged that multilingualism is "essential for the work of Members and for citizens“, but said the costs - approximately 33% of total EP expenditure - must be controlled. The resolution on spending for 2008 considers the possibility of restructuring the interpretation service and proposes sanctions for the misuse of multilingual services in the EP.
Technical developments like computer aided translation, shared translation memories and voice recognition systems help, but machines can't replace the human touch. | | |
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Unity in diversity: EU funding for multilingualism | |
The EU encourages language learning and linguistic diversity within and outside its borders. Proficiency in at least two foreign languages should be a basic skill for every European citizen studying and working in the EU, according to a 27 April 2006 EP report, reiterating the Barcelona European Council Conclusions of March 2002.
The EU wants member states to include at least two foreign languages in their school programmes from an early age to ensure interest and motivation in becoming proficient in other languages, which would underpin mutual understanding and empathy across Europe.
Encouraging multilingualism
EU-funded education and vocational programmes like Socrates (Lingua and Comenius) and Leonardo da Vinci actively promote life-long language teaching, learning and linguistic diversity. The Media programme funds the dubbing and subtitling of European films.
As part of the effort to encourage life-long language learning, 26 September is the European Day of Languages. The EU initiative on the European Language Label (a seal of approval for creative initiatives in language teaching and learning) also contributes to increasing multilingualism and 2008 will be the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.
More efforts are needed to ensure these aims and MEPs have welcomed the creation of the European Indicator of Language Competence, which will allow comparisons between linguistic proficiency and Member State policies in the area. Surveys should begin in 2009.
According to the "Europeans and their Languages" Eurobarometer survey, published in February 2006, 28% of Europeans claim to know two foreign languages, while 56% of EU citizens can converse in one foreign language. Almost half of the respondents admitted not knowing any other language than their mother tongue. Approximately 1 in 5 Europeans is an active language learner.
Other national, regional and minority languages
Linguistic diversity is an asset rather than an obstacle to a unified EU and with around 60 regional or minority languages spoken by nearly 50 million Europeans, the Union promotes regional and minority languages via language learning programmes and financial support. The EP has demonstrated its commitment to the protection of lesser-used languages in a series of resolutions going back to the early 1980s.
According to special provisions, since 2006 citizens can address the European Parliament and receive a reply in the so-called "co-official" languages of Spain (languages other than Spanish/Castillian with constitutionally guaranteed status within Spain). The Spanish government has agreed to meet any extra translation costs and also ensures the translation of numerous EU texts into these languages.
Parliament has an Intergroup for Traditional Minorities and Regional Languages and EP vice-president Miguel Ángel Martínez is responsible for multilingualism. Together with Commissioner Leonard Orban he opened the "Inter-Active Terminology for Europe" database to the public in June 28. It includes 8.7 million terms, 500,000 abbreviations and 100,000 phrases, covering all 23 official EU languages.
...and finally...test your language knowledge !
Thanks for reading! To find it in one of the other languages click on the language icon above. In the meantime, here is just a flavour of the different languages being used in the Parliament. We have put some of them in their official protocol order. Can you recognise the language? (Look below for the answers).
1. Благодарим ви, че прочетохте нашия материал! За да намерите останалите 21 езикови версии, кликнете на иконата за избор на език.
2. Děkujeme, že jste si náš příspěvek přečetli. Chcete-li se podívat na text v ostatních jazycích, klikněte na odpovídající ikonku.
3. Tak for at du læste dette! Klik på ikonet ovenfor, for at finde dette fokus på et af de andre sprog!
4. Danke fürs Lesen! Um diesen Text in einer der anderen Sprachen zu lesen, wählen Sie einfach oben rechts eine Sprachversion aus.
5. Muchas gracias por leer este reportaje! Si quiere hacerlo en alguna de las otras 21 lenguas, haga click en el icono de idioma que aparece arriba"
6. Le français ne vous suffit pas ? Pour lire ce dossier dans une autre langue, cliquez sur l'icone des langues, en haut et à droite de l'écran"
7. Ora che hai letto gli articoli in italiano, scegli un'altra delle altre 21 lingue cliccando sopra a destra
8. Paldies par lasīšanu! Lai nomainītu valodu, izmantojiet izvēlni lapas augšējā labajā stūrī.
9. Ačiū, kad skaitėte! Spustelėję išskleidžiamąjį kalbų meniu, šią dosjė galėsite skaityti kitomis ES kalbomis.
10. Köszönjük, hogy velünk tartott! Dossziénkat a jobb felső fülre kattintva további nyelveken is olvashatja.
11. Dankuwel voor het lezen! Klik om het in één van de andere talen te vinden op de keuzeopties hierboven.
12. Kiitos lukemisesta! Löydät teemamme muilla 21 kielellä klikkaamalla kielipainiketta yllä
....and the answers are .....!
1. Bulgarian
2. Czech
3. Danish
4. German
5. Spanish
6. French
7. Italian
8. Latvian
9. Lithuanian
10. Hungarian
11. Dutch
12. Finnish
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