Multilingualism and EU Enlargement

Abstract

[eng] The European Union is facing a major challenge - that of virtually doubling the number of its Member States over the next decade or so. It has already entered into negotiations with no fewer than 12 countries. One significant issue - albeit not the most important one - is what to do about the number of languages to be used in the enlarged Union, since the arrival of the new countries could well involve the addition of up to 11 new languages. However, relatively little has been said or written about the linguistic aspects of enlargement. In the first chapter, the current language situation and policy of the candidate countries will be analysed. The aim is to illustrate the number of languages currently spoken in these countries owing to the emergence of different linguistic minorities following various historical developments. The presence of these minorities also leads us to consider the present EU approach to minority languages in its current Member States and their status. This first chapter also demonstrates the importance attached to the official languages in some countries, e.g. the Baltic countries. Countries that have recently regained independence are more likely to oppose an enlarged Union, which fails to take their language into consideration. The second chapter deals with the current legislation governing language arrangements in the European Union's Institutions and the "de facto" situation - i.e. how rigorously the principle of multilingualism is applied and if a more pragmatic approach is acceptable. It explores what multilingualism really means for the internal functioning of the institutions. Particular attention is paid to the translation and interpretation services, which enable the Institutions to carry out their tasks in a multilingual environment. They also ensure that the principle of the equality of languages is preserved. The present day situation is of relevance when assessing the impact that enlargement could have on the workings of the European Institutions. This is the subject of the third chapter. It also analyses the challenges facing the translation and interpretation services, which will have to cope with an enormous growth in the number of working languages, if these continue to increase automatically, as for previous enlargements. Therefore, a certain amount of preparation, such as training and recruitment, is necessary. Besides this, reference is made to the different methods proposed to accommodate the new languages and to reduce the strain on both services. Finally, it is important to point out the different attempts to reduce the number of working languages originating from the Institutions themselves or from the Member States. However, the fact that none of these attempts has succeeded and that, on the contrary, many arguments have been raised to defend the advantages of the present system, reveals how controversial the issue can be. The political issues at play here relate to the need for equality, respect for diversity, non-discrimination and democracy, together with the fact that language is closely related to the concepts of nationalism and identity.