Tag: languages

The Commission says it has earmarked €6 million to promote European co-operation in the use of information and communication technologies in education. The money will be used to support 27 new projects in 28 countries starting in 2005.

Member states have agreed to make the Irish language an official EU language as from 2007. The estimated cost of 3.5m euros per year will come out of EU coffers.

The row that broke out over the addition of German as an 'automatic' language in press conferences alongside French and English has been resolved.

Greece has become an associate member of the OIF, a club for French-speaking countries. The move is seen as part of efforts to stave off the growing domination of English in the EU.

The French government's offer of free French classes for new commissioners is part of a bid to arrest the decline of the 'language of Molière' in the EU - a "perfectly sensible procedure to see that French isn't trampled out by English," says a UK MEP.

With restrictions on the free movement of labour to most of the present EU member states, Hungary could come under pressure to limit worker influx from neighbours like Poland and Slovakia, says Hungary's nomination for Commissioner Péter Balázs, in an exclusive interview with EurActiv.

The Competitiveness Council of 22 September concluded that the long-discussed proposal for a Regulation creating a Community Patent is making relatively good progress, with a political agreement foreseen by 10 November 2003.

The Commission has adopted an action plan for the period 2004-2006 aimed at promoting language learning and linguistic diversity throughout the EU.

As part of the deliberation of Parliament's 2004 budget, on 14 May MEPs considered the implications of the adoption of nine new working languages.

From a linguistic point of view, the biggest worries about the EU's pending enlargement appear to be mostly mathematical.

The Copenhagen Summit on 12-13 December will discuss the use of languages in the Council following enlargement, based on a Danish Presidency report.

European students participate in "biggest language course ever" to celebrate the 'European Day of Languages'. The event, organised by AEGEE Europe, meant that activities took place simultaneously in 48 different cities across Europe.