President. – The next item is the debate on the report (A5-0099/2000) by Mr Graça Moura, on behalf of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council decision: European Year of Languages 2001 [COM(1999) 485 – C5-0278/1999 – 1999/0208(COD)]
Graça Moura (PPE-DE) rapporteur. – (PT) Mr President, Commissioner Reding, ladies and gentlemen, I come from a country whose history over the last six hundred years has been closely linked to a knowledge of the foreign languages that are spoken in the most diverse parts of the world. The Portuguese have always had to learn the languages of the people with whom they were dealing and, in turn, they brought a European language, Portuguese, to the four corners of the world and it is spoken today by two hundred million people.
The scope of an initiative such as the European Year of Languages 2001 is therefore quite clear to me, at a time when Europe is facing a new stage in its history and when we are all fully aware of the extraordinary wealth that the cultural and linguistic diversity of the European peoples represents. We also have a huge conceptual project which has been undertaken by the Council of Europe and by Parliament, and which holds the idea of the mother tongue to be one of every human being’s fundamental rights.
It is in this context, in which history and civilisation, cultural processes and the drafting of laws, the primacy of the present and a necessary view of the future all merge, that the importance of the proposal that every citizen of the European Union should learn foreign languages is most clearly seen. The European Year of Languages is a campaign which contains a bold challenge and takes for granted the essential cultural dimension of our heritage, in both its oral and written forms, which has been expressed since time immemorial in all the languages spoken in Europe. It considers the knowledge of other languages to be intrinsic to the construction of a European citizenship, since it opens the door to a greater knowledge of other people’s cultures and encourages tolerance and peaceful coexistence. By doing so, it is also an important factor in combating racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other unacceptable forms of discrimination. Lastly, looking at the economic aspect, it contributes to the construction of a European citizenship by means of the range of professional qualifications that competence in other languages represents, by means of the access that it provides to scientific and technical knowledge and by means of the weapon it provides in the fight against unemployment.
It was not only these concerns that were highlighted by the various amendments to the original text proposed by honourable Members of this House, but also those regarding a real policy in this area which, without infringing the subsidiarity principle, would ensure the quality and the effectiveness of the campaign to encourage language learning, as well as the diversity of target-groups, paying particular attention to the less favoured sectors of society.
The approach adopted for the purpose of drafting the report for which I was responsible, and on which Parliament will vote tomorrow, was consistently to seek out the boundary between what would be acceptable to the various institutions involved and what would not. It did so both in a completely informal way and through intensive and varied meetings with the coordinators of the political groups represented within Parliament’s Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sports with representatives of the Portuguese Presidency and with the Commission. By these means, what we might call a compromise text was agreed, which gives every reason to suppose that a second reading and a conciliation procedure will not be necessary. In other words, a solution emerged which will enable the procedure to be completed at first reading and preparatory action for the European Year of Languages to be set in motion in the second half of this year, so that the programme will come into force at the beginning of 2001. I believe that the most serious difficulties will surely be cleared up in the statement which we all hope Commissioner Reding will make.
This does not mean that this is the best of all possible worlds. We consider the financial means to be quite inadequate and we feel that there are actions resulting from the programme that we will have to gauge and develop. We also feel that there is another whole range of aspects that have been excluded, because they do not relate to a campaign for learning but to the status of European languages, which for some historical or political reason are less widely spoken or less favoured in some Member States. These points also require urgent consideration by the Community institutions. None of this, however, detracts from the fact that the compromise text contains enormous potential for positive results, and responds to a concern and a real need felt by the citizens of the European Union. It already covers, directly or indirectly, many of the general principles that must be enshrined in this area.
For these reasons, and with my thanks for all the cooperation given to me by fellow Members, by the Portuguese Presidency and by the Commission, I am honoured to propose that we vote in favour of the joint proposal for a decision on the European Year of Languages, in the version contained in the compromise text, the main features of which I have just outlined.
Pack (PPE-DE). – (DE) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, rarely has there been so much insight and common sense in evidence on all sides of this House, as is proving to be the case during this debate today. That is no doubt due to the issue we are dealing with, the urgent nature and significance of which everyone deems equally important. We want to prepare ourselves well for the European Year of Languages. Indeed that is why all three institutions have been making overtures to each other and sparing themselves long-winded negotiations. I would expressly like to thank Mr Graça Moura for the work he has done. It has been such an outstanding effort that all the coordinators in the committee simply had to give him their backing. I have to admit that his charm must have had a lot to do with this, as well as his expertise of course!
What are we aiming to achieve with this action, which we are supporting so vigorously? We want to make our fellow citizens receptive to the advantages that mastering several languages brings. The different languages are part of cultural diversity, and understanding other languages is a particularly effective way of tapping into the riches of our cultural heritage. It is simply wonderful to be able to read and understand a poem by Verlaine in French, or one by Heine in German, or by Vasco Graça Moura in Portuguese. But even at a mundane everyday level, one cannot get far without a knowledge of other languages. Indeed, only those who speak several languages can gain full access to the internal market.
As the Socrates rapporteur, I am very much in favour of placing special emphasis on the importance of learning the language spoken by one’s European neighbours, and of launching pilot projects on this very issue, in the course of the Year of Languages.
Of course we all hope that the measures planned for this Year of Languages are not one-day wonders, rather they should extend well beyond the year itself.
I hope the Year of Languages will bring the success we all need.
(Applause)
Prets (PSE). – (DE) Mr President, Commissioner, the European Year of Languages 2000 is intended to achieve several goals, one being to promote awareness of the fact that linguistic diversity within the European Union is part of our cultural heritage. In addition, we intend to open the eyes of as many people as possible to the benefits of knowing several languages, as a crucial aspect of personal development, career development and improved communication.
It is also important to me personally not just to target schoolchildren and students, but also to redouble our efforts to reach the socially disadvantaged, and immigrants, and to offer them prospects and opportunities for the future. The exchange of information, the collation and processing of experiences, as well as the development of new, modern methods of improving access to languages and making it more efficient, is also one of this project’s key areas of concern.
Unfortunately, it will not be possible, given the available budget of EUR 8 million, to do as many of you have urged and place special emphasis on, and promote, the minority languages, which must of course be taken into account in the regions concerned – I know this from my own experience, coming as I do from a region in which there are three minority languages.
The main aim of this Year of Languages is, as has already been said, to urge the people of Europe to learn several languages, both for their own benefit as the basis for improved understanding and integration within the European Union. The report has been prepared and agreement reached on more than 100 proposed amendments within a very short space of time. The flexibility and readiness to compromise displayed by all those involved was most impressive. The rapporteur, Mr Graça Moura, was a particularly judicious and committed negotiator working in the interests of this project. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to him.
Notwithstanding all the positive aspects, I would also, however, like to take this opportunity to voice my criticism of the Council, which Parliament has been unable to rely on as it needed to. Two weeks ago, we reached agreement with the representatives of the Council, the Commission and Parliament, but I am sorry to say that this was called into question on Monday of this week. We cannot accept this kind of behaviour, and we expect the Council to give its representatives a mandate for negotiations, or to confirm to us that further talks will be necessary. In this way, we will be able to avoid wasting time in the future. I believe it is important for people to come together and with that aim in view culture is an important mainstay and language an indispensable one.
Andreasen (ELDR). – (DA) Mr President, I should like to thank Mr Graça Moura for a splendid piece of work and for the energy he has put into drawing up this report. I should also like to thank the Council for being so accommodating and the Commission for the role it has played as mediator, especially just recently. The Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party is very happy to support initiatives which may create greater awareness of the value of linguistic diversity in the European Union. It is important that the EU’s citizens should be encouraged to learn foreign languages early on in school and also throughout their lives. A knowledge of languages is important, for European languages are of great significance to European culture and civilisation, and people need good language skills in order to be able to find employment in EU countries other than their own. The programme for the European Year of Languages offers a splendid basis for providing information about the many different opportunities there are for learning foreign languages, and it is important. Mr Graça Moura’s proposal includes the 11 official EU languages, together with a number of other languages recognised by the Member States, including Irish and Luxembourgish. The Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party also thinks that the programme should include other languages which are actually used in the various Member States, for instance Catalan in Spain and Frisian in the Netherlands. Finally, in the programme for the European Year of Languages, consideration is also given to the forthcoming enlargement of the Union, something which we in the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party consider to be crucial to all EU programmes. On behalf of the Group, I can recommend supporting this programme.
Vander Taelen (Verts/ALE). – (NL) Mr President, needless to say, I too would like to thank the rapporteur for his excellent and exquisite work. I would like to make a few minor observations regarding a European campaign which intends to teach Europeans languages from other communities.
We are all convinced of the usefulness of this exercise, of course. But the thing that often goes wrong with European campaigns – and fortunately I have not been around long enough as a politician to be unaware how the ordinary citizen reacts to this – is that, very often, they are nothing but an attractive front, pretty to look at but insubstantial. I would therefore like to think that this campaign will offer something different, and that, more importantly, consideration will be given to why it is so hard for people in Europe to learn languages, and at what stages in their lives they are able to learn languages. I come from a bilingual country myself and I have met some people in that country who never learn the other language, despite the fact that they attend language classes, sometimes for twelve years, and are still unable to speak another language. This is a terrible observation to have to make. I therefore hope that in the course of this year of European languages, research will be carried out into the best language teaching methods and, more than anything, how Europeans can be encouraged to learn the language of the other Europeans using a modern and appealing method.
Fraisse (GUE/NGL). – (FR) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the diversity of languages is a source of cultural wealth. I thank the rapporteur, Mr Graça Moura, for having reinstated this aspect which was sorely lacking at the beginning, for having established from the outset that we are not simply facing a technical information and communication problem and for reminding us that the diversity of languages is the product of a civilisation which has both written and oral traditions. We must be wary of adopting a functional and utilitarian approach to languages, for this approach ignores the fact that language facilitates thought and that thought facilitates citizenship. I feel, therefore, that learning at least two languages is the minimum needed to keep up with the dynamic evolution of European democracy, as well as to ensure the mobility of students and workers.
I just wonder what means are available to us now, apart from a few fine words and a tiny amount of money, to see this policy through. We must be able to think with our mother tongue and also with, or in, other languages. As a Frenchwoman I am convinced that being a French speaker goes hand in hand with using foreign languages. That is why we must convince parents, teachers and politicians that language learning must begin at primary school level, or even at pre-school level. That is also why interpreting and translating should not be relegated as they still are, to the status of ancillary skills.
We must do more than simply argue in favour of the diversity of languages and call for differences to be respected. It is a question of whether Europe takes on an identity based on a range of identities, rather than just accepting a common ground of differences. This leads on to the debate on the official languages of the Community and the recognised languages, be they national or regional, of all of today’s countries and those of tomorrow, particularly in the context of enlargement, which, as we all know, is a cause for concern for us in terms of languages.
Europeans also have a heritage, beginning with ancient Greek and Latin; we have all stressed this in committee and we must not lose these languages. Europeans must not neglect any language, nor must they forget the languages of the immigrants present in considerable numbers in our countries, or sign language which is the minority language par excellence. I feel that a successful awareness campaign must, of course, present languages as subjects to be studied and as a mechanism for exchang but it must also remind people that languages are also a source of fun and a pleasure.
(Applause)
Marinos (PPE-DE). – (EL) Mr President, after I too have congratulated the rapporteur, Mr Graça Moura, who has done such a good job that it won the unanimous support of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, I would like to focus my attention on just one point, namely that in addition to the human, cultural and political advantages, the need to learn more than one language is also of considerable economic benefit. The report also highlights the findings of all the experts: having a good command of one’s mother tongue and learning classical languages, especially Latin and classical Greek, makes it easier to learn other languages. I would also add our own mother tongue to the equation. This great truth emerges from a fact rather unknown to most, that in the English language, for example, there are at least 75 000 words of Greek origin. I repeat, 75 000 English words derive from classical Greek. There are a similar number of words in the French language that derive from Greek, and the same is true of most other modern European languages. It is also certain that Latin is just as important for most European languages.
The English sage, Francis Bacon, said that knowledge is power, so knowledge of the basic languages from which our modern European languages derive improves our general knowledge and reinforces European civilisation, which, besides its humanitarian value, is also a weapon for our survival and prosperity as Europeans in a globalised economy. Besides, the contemporary German professors, August and Werner-Karl Heisenberg, have characterised both classical and modern Greek as the mother and nurturer of human civilisation. I believe that revival of the teaching of Latin and classical Greek in middle education will also provide a cultural shield for the younger generations against the onslaught of the generally levelling effect of the American cultural message, so that only its positive elements are preserved.
Paasilinna (PSE).– (FI) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the rapporteur. The European Year of Languages is important and worthwhile. All the languages of Europe are equally valuable and worthy of respect in terms of culture.
It could be said that the people who speak the same language share the same mentality. The mother tongue is not merely a tool of communication, it is in fact more than anything else, it is thought itself. Language is the most peaceful way of communicating. Independence is language and language is independence. The Kurds are a nation with no land or borders of their own, kept together only by language. Language is a powerful force. It is the most important bond for a nation. Large countries, and many smaller ones too, often tyrannise others through language. It is a means of occupation.
The legislation regarding language in my country is among the most liberal in the world. We have seen how two different foreign languages have twice been proclaimed the official language; only at the beginning of last century did our language, Finnish, become the official one. That is why we have guaranteed the important status of minority languages.
The multilingual nature of the European Union is thus a source of wealth. At the same time it is also the right of each citizen in each Member State. The multilingual nature of Europe must be preserved after enlargement too; there are no obstacles to this. It is wrong to think that a multilingual environment is costly and ineffective. Translation is not costly; it is the most effective practical instrument of peace.
Ortuondo Larrea (Verts/ALE). – (ES) Mr President, in addition to congratulating the rapporteur, I would like to highlight in this debate that the idea for this celebration originates from the Council of Europe, an institution with a particular sensitivity towards the cultural and social aspects of the old continent, which, with its initiative of increasing the knowledge and use of more languages by Europeans, hopes to promote understanding and tolerance and bring citizens closer together.
When we speak of European languages, let us not forget that this does not only mean the official languages of the Member States. In Europe, many other languages are spoken, some of them thousands of years old such as Euskera in the Basque Country or Gaelic, whose origins have been lost in the mists of time, and others such as Catalan, Galician and Alsatian, which is spoken right here in Strasbourg. This initiative should also benefit all these other regional and minority languages, and the bodies created by the Member States to organise participation in the European Year of Languages must also include representatives of these other languages, which are also European, and which are the essence and lifeblood of the wealth of our unity in diversity.
Furthermore, the learning of languages leads to an awareness of our cultural diversity and contributes to the eradication of xenophobia, racism and intolerance, which forms part of our Community objectives.
Gutiérrez Cortines (PPE-DE). – (ES) Mr President, I would like to thank the Commission and, at the same time, the rapporteur, Mr Graça Moura, for having permitted so many amendments, many of them open to broadening the scope of the Year and extending it to rural areas and the least favoured areas. However, I would also like to express certain concerns with regard to the economic restrictions. I would recommend that many projects be allowed since it is clear that cultural projects attract a lot of investment from Autonomous Regions and private initiatives which we cannot afford to lose.
I would also ask, in this era when emotions often take precedence over good sense, that we do not support projects which are aimed at exclusion and the use of language to support positions which often seek to cause divisions between people, when the objective of this programme is to unite people.
I would also like to see the European Union begin to take great care of languages which have no country, maternal languages which often have no school and no teachers; languages which are spoken throughout Europe, which no state accepts and which will never become official. I am referring, for example, to Ladino and Yiddish. These languages furthermore do not have any media of their own. Of the 150 languages which are spoken in Europe, we should make a list of those which are only transmitted from mothers to their children, which are only spoken in a domestic setting and which, currently, with the invasion of the media and with the official use of languages in schools, will have very few years to live. I would like this European Year of Languages to be opened up to them as well and that a space be made for them so that they may be considered in any other future programmes which may take place.
Poignant (PSE). – (FR) Mr President, I should like to address my remarks on languages to my fellow Members, of course, but also to our interpreters, who enable this Parliament to function, to the rapporteur, of course, not for his work as rapporteur but because he is also a poet in this Parliament and, moreover, as I have discovered, one who speaks my mother tongue perfectly. What better rapporteur could there be?
When one is a new Member of the European Parliament, as I am, one finds oneself dealing with all sorts of things: chocolate, end-of-life vehicles, the qualified majority, dried beans, Spanish lentils, anything and everything. Then, suddenly, one finds that one is going to have to deal with something that gives Europe its historic and cultural depth, namely its languages. And when one looks back at the great periods in history, and I am thinking here of the Renaissance, that great age of trade and commerce, what remains of that era today are the cultural achievements, the artefacts of our heritage, and thus will it ever be.
In terms of languages, Europe has known times when a single language predominated: Latin, and also French. Now it tends to be English. So what are we to tell our fellow citizens for this year 2001. Let me just briefly mention a few points. Firstly, that European unity may not mean linguistic unity. Next, that every language is deserving of respect and deserves to be promoted and defended. This is applicable to any amount of things: monuments, objects, you name it. Why should it not be the case for mankind’s best and most lasting achievement, i.e. his method of communicating with his neighbour? And then, all languages are learnt within the family first of all. This is why we call them “mother tongues”, and no State, whatever it may be, may have the direct, indirect, explicit or implicit goal of destroying one of its mother tongues, or of allowing it to disappear.
Furthermore, finally, without linguistic diversity, there is no Europe, because this is also one of the few, and perhaps the only, parliament in the world which operates in eleven languages, to the extent that occasionally we speak in this House for the purpose of being interpreted and not to be heard in the original. It is up to us to construct this dialectic of European unity and its linguistic diversity.
Klaß (PPE-DE). – (DE) Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is a sound report, that much I can say. I too would first like to thank Mr Graça Moura, but I would also like to highlight the excellent cooperation there has been between the Council, the Commission and Parliament on this issue, all in an effort to be able to take a speedy vote on this report. This illustrates that everyone has recognised that there is an urgent need to develop EU citizens’ knowledge of languages, and also to encourage them to learn new languages.
Languages reflect the diversity of the European Union. Being able to speak to each other enables us to understand one another, and also makes it easier to build social structures. However, for all its diversity, our culture in Europe derives from common, historical origins, which is why our languages are based on the classical languages of Latin and Greek. Mastering these languages generally helps one to learn the others. I come from the region of Trier – it borders Luxembourg and Belgium and France is not far away either – and it is in fact essential for us to speak the language spoken by our neighbours. Many people work in Luxembourg, or do business with Belgium and France. Knowledge of languages should not just be viewed as an aspect of interpersonal relations, for it has quite considerable economic potential, particularly in the context of the internal market and globalisation.
If I want to gain access to a particular market then I have to speak and understand the language of the market participants. In some parts of our region, for example, children learn the languages of our neighbours as early as the kindergarten stage through play. Children are fast learners and I believe we ought to be able to put this to good use. In addition to a comprehensive information campaign, we must also propose concrete actions. Educational measures must be improved, teachers must be given the right training and coaching, and it must not just be a matter of personal preference as to whether they take this step or not.
Reding,Commission. – (FR) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to be able to be here this evening to talk to you and particularly to have been able to hear your views. Firstly, because the subject of languages is very close to my heart. As somebody from Luxembourg, I come from a part of Europe where trilingualism is actively practised. It is to some extent a laboratory which could serve as a basis for others who would like to do what we all wish to do during this European Year of Languages, which is to promote the study of one’s mother tongue and of two additional languages.
On the other hand, we are at a crucial stage, as there is the prospect of achieving agreement at first reading between the Parliament and the Council. An agreement at first reading is essential as we are working to a very tight schedule. 2001 is no longer far off and preparations for implementing the programme are becoming urgent.
What are the aims we wish to achieve by organising the European Year of Languages? First of all, it is important to make Europeans aware of linguistic diversity and of the wealth that this diversity represents. We know full well that cultural diversity is perhaps Europe’s greatest asset and we must support this cultural diversity, which is based on linguistic diversity. The various languages of the European Union will never be replaced by a single language, I am quite sure of that. And even if one particular language of communication spreads further and further, this does not in any way detract from the need to learn languages to be able to function in the European Union. You have all said so and I fully support you in this.
This leads me to the second great aim of the European Year of Languages: we must encourage the public to learn languages and to do so throughout their lives, starting at a very early age, in nursery school. Indeed, language learning is important both for personal development and for intercultural understanding, as some of you have pointed out. It is one of the best weapons for combating xenophobia. It is also, as some of you have said, essential to finding a job and to everyone’s career prospects. Furthermore, it will not be possible to anticipate the needs of everyone individually, and so schools must, therefore, in addition to a basic training, prepare people for lifelong learning and in this context, the principle of one’s mother tongue and two other languages should be emphasised. Learning one language is not an adequate basis for multilingualism.
The European Year of Languages is also a framework, which will enable information to be disseminated on how to learn languages. Methods have moved on from the traditional ones and much work has been done in this area. I believe that this Year of Languages should give us ideas of best practice and how we can move from quite theoretical language learning to learning a language for practical purposes.
The European Year of Languages will also complement existing initiatives. It is designed for the general public and constitutes a huge information campaign. In order for it to succeed, however, on the one hand it must create an image, develop logos, slogans and information material. On the other hand, it is envisaged that projects presented by regional and local authorities or organisations will be cofinanced, and I would like to say categorically to those of you who come from border areas that learning one’s neighbour’s language must be one of the major key points emphasised during this Year of Languages.
The year will be organised in close cooperation with the Council of Europe, which is extremely significant. The Council of Europe has considerable experience in the field of language teaching and we are therefore fortunate to be able to join forces with them. Many fruitful meetings have already taken place and the ongoing exchange of information between our respective departments is vital to the implementation of this Year of Languages.
I would now like to discuss tonight’s debate. First of all, I would like to congratulate our rapporteur, Mr Graça Moura, for his excellent work and also to express my delight at the constructive approach and the useful cooperation built up between the rapporteurs and the Members of this Parliament, between Members and my departments and also between the two institutions and the Council. I hope with all my heart that this will enable us to successfully see this initiative through and to reach agreement at first reading so that we can start the European Year of Languages.
There were a great many amendments which have, in the meantime, been merged into a smaller number. It is important to emphasise the fact that the amendments voted for by the European Parliament must be acceptable to the Council if agreement is to be reached at first reading. I have noted the desire of some Members to include regional and minority languages, and you know how strongly I personally feel about these languages. You also know, however, how sensitive this issue is for certain Member States.
I think that the definition of target languages as stated in article 1, Amendment No 15, provides sufficient scope, whilst enabling everyone to agree on it. And I am relying a great deal, believe me, on the debates that will take place during 2001, the European Year of Languages, because these debates will enable us to overcome the problems and fears which still exist with regard to minority languages. I also hope that at the end of this Year of Languages, their will be no more resistance to languages, because, as has been very clearly stated, there are no small languages, there are only mother tongues, which are all great languages.
I am therefore relying on the debates to help me prepare future activities in this area, and I would also draw your attention to the additional recitals which address this concern: Amendments Nos 2, 3 and 4. The recitals also enable us to take account of other specific concerns, as many of you have pointed out, such as classical languages and cultures, which will not be forgotten during the European Year of Languages.
I shall not dwell on the amendments on which we agree. I am prepared to accept Amendments Nos 1 to 34, and I shall start from Amendment No 35. The Commission’s draft text proposed a limited number of studies with a direct bearing on the organisation of the European Year of Languages. The Members of the European Parliament have proposed a great many additional studies. It goes without saying that the field of language learning is in constant development, which is why these studies are necessary.
The Commission could therefore accept these suggestions insofar as they cover subjects that can be addressed. Indeed, the European Year of Languages is by definition a short-term initiative, with a limited, in fact a too limited budget. You have raised the issue and we cannot do everything in this context, but there are also other possibilities, and I shall come back to them.
On the other hand, the Council is not prepared to accept a long list of studies which could not all be carried out under the European Year of Languages. My feeling is that we all agree that this point should not become a reason for agreement not to be reached at first reading. This is why I shall make the following formal commitment to you, the European Parliament. The Commission has duly noted the possible subjects for studies on languages adopted in the amendments introduced by Parliament when the motion on the European Year of Languages 2001 was studied. Given its awareness of the importance of languages in the process of European integration, the Commission has committed itself to developing these issues when implementing its programme of studies, which will be carried out in the framework of, and in accordance with the procedures of, the various programmes and activities which can be enlisted for this purpose in the spirit of article 8 of the proposed decision.
In particular, as the Commissioner responsible for the Socrates programme, which specifically covers Comenius, Lingua and Eurydice, as well as Leonardo and Culture 2000, I would like to stress the fact that this programme provides an appropriate framework to undertake the following studies, which will enable us to look at best practice in the field of language teaching and learning and at the reasons why language learning so often fails.
The studies on improving the quality of language teaching within the European Union that are provided for in the second part of Amendment No 35 and Amendment No 39; those on linguistic contacts based on studies of migrant communities stipulated in Amendment No 37; those on the opportunities to speed up access to understanding using methods for simultaneously teaching related languages, laid down in Amendment No 38.
The promotion of bilingual publishing, mentioned in Amendment No 41, is covered by the Culture 2000 programme, and I shall see to it that projects undertaken in this area are given the priority that they deserve.
Finally, it is true that enlargement of the European Union and the growth in the number of official languages will have certain implications, as Amendment No 36 suggests. Nevertheless, this issue is beyond the remit of the European Year of Languages and, furthermore, is a matter for all three political institutions. I am therefore committing myself to doing everything in my power to encourage discussion on this point in the appropriate setting, whist hoping that I can count on the necessary support of the European Parliament.
Lastly, I would like to say a few words about the amendments presented in plenary. Amendments Nos 43 and 12 have the same content, but the wording of Amendment No 43 is better. Amendments Nos 44, 45 and 46 which are technical amendments seeking to adapt the text to comitology, do not, therefore, present any problems. Nevertheless, we know that the Council will not accept Amendments Nos 47, 48, 49, 50 and 51, which relate in particular to regional and minority languages, since we have already discussed this in the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport. As these amendments would jeopardise the chances of agreement being reached at first reading, I cannot accept them.
To sum up, Mr President, it is important that we quickly reach agreement so that we can launch the European Year of Languages. I can assure you that I have listened to your concerns with great interest and that I share them. I am sure that they will be incorporated into the text, as far as possible, and I shall also take them into consideration in other programmes and activities where we have the opportunity to encourage the promotion and learning of languages, not only in 2001, but well beyond that, because the year 2001 will be only the starting point in the campaign we are fighting for all mother tongues to be recognised at European level.