"Europeans are increasingly aware of the difference that foreign language skills can make in their lives," said EU Multilingualism Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou ahead of a conference today on 'Languages for SMEs'.
The conference, which will gather around 150 entrepreneurs, business organisations and representatives of national and local administrations, will debate the link between language skills, employability and competitiveness.
The European Commission, while stressing its supporting role behind EU member states, says it regards respect for linguistic diversity as a core value of the European Union.
It adopted a new strategy on multilingualism in September 2008 and provides €50m a year to support language activities and projects via its Lifelong Learning Programme.
"Improving the overall level of language skills in Europe will also contribute to our 'Europe 2020' strategy for smart and inclusive growth and multilingualism is a crucial part of our flagship initiatives Youth on the Move and the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs," Commissioner Vassiliou explained.
A 2007 study had found that of nearly 2,000 businesses, 11% had lost contracts – often worth millions of euros – as a result of lack of language skills.
"As well as being a practical asset for an individual's personal development, languages mean more business for companies, giving them a competitive edge and opening up export markets," said Vassiliou.
Commission: Practising what it preaches?
Despite the importance the Commission attaches to multilingualism, a number of commissioners in the Barroso II team have difficulty with languages. Indeed, Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger has been ridiculed by German newspapers and on YouTube for his command of English, while a number of his colleagues lack the French skills of their predecessors.
Asked by EurActiv whether all 27 commissioners were planning to learn French, Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen replied "you can always ask commissioners questions in French, though they may answer in another language".
"Of course, the commissioners may respond in the language of their choice. That's why we have simultaneous translation," Hansen added.
The EU is currently grappling with a number of other language-related issues as it celebrates this year's Day of Languages.
The Belgian EU Presidency is determined to break the deadlock over the creation of a European Community patent. Language disputes have already prevented several previous presidencies from resolving the impasse (EurActiv 24/06/10).
Plans for a Community patent were forged in 2003 but progress has been hampered by repeated technical and legal difficulties, especially a dispute on whether a patent should be translated into all 23 official languages or just three working languages.
"If you are an inventor in Spain, you make the application in Spanish. It's only after the initial application phase that the European Patent Office switches to its three languages," said Commissioner Vassiliou's spokesman Dennis Abbot when quizzed about progress on the issue yesterday.
"Europe is competing with the rest of the world. We need to strike the right balance between multilingualism and maintaining competitiveness," Abbot said, before adding: "All languages are important, but it depends where your market is. It's not the case that you only need English and French."
Abbot, a native English speaker, went on to list the events taking place across Europe in the language of the country concerned, drawing laughter from the journalists present as he struggled with accents.
Concerns mount over lack of interpreters
Meanwhile, concerns over an upcoming lack of Italian interpreters led the EU institutions to launch a campaign today in Rome to encourage young Italian speakers to consider working for the European Union.
Similar campaigns have been launched over the last 18 months to recruit qualified French, English, German, Italian and Dutch speakers to work for their services (EurActiv 25/09/09; EurActiv 18/02/09).
European Languages Day will conclude with a series of conferences in major European cities on Monday.
