Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-27-Speech-3-222"
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"en.19991027.8.3-222"2
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"Mr President, I would like to touch on one aspect of cultural diversity needing support: minority languages. Europe should take pride in its linguistic diversity. The European Union has done much to promote its wealth of cultures and I congratulate Commissioner Reding on her work in this regard.
Many in this new Parliament might not remember that in May 1998 budget lines for minority languages were frozen because they had no legal basis. Will the Commission now guarantee that a legal basis for these projects is introduced? The situation of 1998 cannot be allowed to arise again. Lesser-used languages must be granted the funding they deserve, otherwise excellent innovative projects – drama, the translating of literature following the end of the Ariane project – the teaching of languages and so on will all suffer.
As a Welsh speaker, I have seen the significant benefits of European funding but also the threat to many excellent projects when financial support is withdrawn. As the budget has already been frozen for 16 months it is unlikely that any schemes under the Culture 2000 programme will come into being until 2001. It is crucial therefore that the Commission uses its preparatory measures to ensure that current projects do not now suffer. Languages are more than mere words. They are the vehicles by which the cultures of Europe are expressed and celebrated also.
Let us hope that Commissioner Reding’s words become reality and that every language is respected and promoted regardless of the numbers who speak it."@en1
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