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The Protection and Promotion of Language Equality in the EU: Gaps, Paradoxes, and Double Standards

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The European Union as Protector and Promoter of Equality

Part of the book series: European Union and its Neighbours in a Globalized World ((EUNGW,volume 1))

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Abstract

This chapter attempts to identify and assess the European Union’s role in promoting and protecting linguistic diversity in Europe. The focus will not be on rules and practices regarding the internal and external use of languages by EU institutions, but on EU policies in general and their underlying values. It starts by exploring the roots of language equality in the EU, since it might not be clear to what extent language equality is a fundamental value of the EU and a shared value among member states. Furthermore, it assesses EU performance in respecting linguistic diversity. The chapter makes the point that the main cause for the scant ambition and performance of the EU in this regard is the cultural self-centredness of member states. It further argues that fundamental values underlying language equality and respect for linguistic diversity are varied and should not be neglected in the European integration process.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    ‘EU language policy is based on linguistic diversity, multilingualism, and equality of the official languages of the EU Member States’. See Paunio (2007), p. 385.

  2. 2.

    See, for instance, the European Parliament resolution of 11 September 2018 on language equality in the digital age (2018/2028(INI)), P8_TA-PROV(2018)0332.

  3. 3.

    See, for instance, the European Parliament resolution of 11 September 2013 on endangered European languages and linguistic diversity in the European Union OJ C 93/52 – 58 (2016), (2013/2007(INI)), P7_TA(2013)0350.

  4. 4.

    Kraus and Kazlauskaitė-Gürbüz (2014), p. 517; Climent-Ferrando (2016), p. 3.

  5. 5.

    European Parliament resolution of 11 September 2018 on language equality in the digital age 2018/2028(INI) (2018), P8_TA-PROV(2018)0332.

  6. 6.

    See McRae (2007). For a good account of the principle of linguistic equality in comparative constitutional law, see de Witte (1985).

  7. 7.

    Art. 55 EU.

  8. 8.

    The term does not appear in the Treaties.

  9. 9.

    See Ahrens (2003).

  10. 10.

    A New Framework Strategy for Multilingualism, COM (2005) 596 final of 22 November 2005.

  11. 11.

    Climent-Ferrando (2016), p. 3.

  12. 12.

    In this sense, Kraus and Kazlauskaitė-Gürbüz (2014) and Climent-Ferrando (2016).

  13. 13.

    Grin (2003), p. 169.

  14. 14.

    See the chapter in this volume by Anne Lise Kjær.

  15. 15.

    For a normative foundation see Patten (2014).

  16. 16.

    Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages.

  17. 17.

    Strubell (2007), p. 158.

  18. 18.

    Barriga (2003), p. 109.

  19. 19.

    Arzoz (2008); an updated Spanish version in Arzoz (2012).

  20. 20.

    See Ruiz Fabri (2007).

  21. 21.

    I am using the conceptualisation elaborated in Arzoz (2010).

  22. 22.

    Similarly, Art. 20(2)(d) TFEU and Art. 41(4) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

  23. 23.

    Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish.

  24. 24.

    See Milian-Massana (2004) and Creech (2005).

  25. 25.

    Art. 290 EC.

  26. 26.

    Dubos and Guset (2015), p. 137.

  27. 27.

    Dubos and Guset (2015), p. 137.

  28. 28.

    Application no. 45036/98, Bosphorus Hava Yolları Turizm ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi c. Irlanda (ECHR 30 June 2005), para. 152.

  29. 29.

    Dubos and Guset (2015), p. 118. Croatian has a similar number of speakers within the EU to Catalan, but it is related to the Serbo-Croatian that possesses more speakers outside the EU in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro, who could join to the EU in the mid-term.

  30. 30.

    As of 30 June 2019.

  31. 31.

    For background and current debates, see Judge (2000), Trabant (2002) and Oakes (2011).

  32. 32.

    See de Varennes (1996).

  33. 33.

    Décision n° 99-412 DC (Conseil constitutionnel 15 juin 1999), point 10.

  34. 34.

    Dubos and Guset (2015), p. 132.

  35. 35.

    BVerfG 163, 267, 2 BvE 2/08 of 30.6.2009, Absatz-Nr. 260. See Arzoz (2014).

  36. 36.

    Fishman (1994), p. 55.

  37. 37.

    Fishman (1994), p. 55.

  38. 38.

    In detail, see Nic Shuibhne (2002), pp. 61–70, 264–267; Vizi (2012), pp. 150–151.

  39. 39.

    See Gazzola et al. (2016).

  40. 40.

    Case C-106/96, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland v Commission of the European Communities, (ECJ 12 May 1998).

  41. 41.

    Gazzola et al. (2016), pp. 52–53.

  42. 42.

    European Parliament resolution with recommendations to the Commission on European regional and lesser-used languages – the languages of minorities in the EU – in the context of enlargement and cultural diversity 2003/2057(INI) (2003), (Report Michl Ebner), annex to the motion for resolution, point no. 25 (a new Article 151 EC): ‘The Community shall, within its spheres of competence, respect and promote linguistic diversity in Europe, including regional or minority languages as an expression of that diversity, by encouraging cooperation between Member States and utilising other appropriate instruments in the furtherance of this objective.’.

  43. 43.

    European Parliament on language equality in the digital age 2018/2028(INI) (2018), point no. 14.

  44. 44.

    Michl Ebner Report, already mentioned, letter A.

  45. 45.

    European Parliament resolution on language equality in the digital age 2018/2028(INI) (2018), point no. 19.

  46. 46.

    European Parliament resolution on endangered European languages and linguistic diversity in the European Union 2013/2007(INI) (2013), points no. 3 and 28; European Parliament resolution on protection and non-discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States 2017/2937(RSP) (2017), point no. 14.

  47. 47.

    European Parliament resolution on protection and non-discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States 2017/2937(RSP) (2017), point no. 7.

  48. 48.

    One of the most critical views is held by Robert Phillipson. He writes that ‘EU institutions can be considered as in effect practising linguistic apartheid, even if Eurolaw is promulgated in all official languages. Minority languages have no place’. See Phillipson (2011), p. 62.

  49. 49.

    Strubell (2007), p. 173.

  50. 50.

    Gravier and Lundquist (2011), p. 94.

  51. 51.

    Müller (2007), p. 107.

  52. 52.

    For an introduction to language and nationalism in Europe, see Barbour and Carmichael (2000).

  53. 53.

    See the title of the comparative study by Arlettaz (2014).

  54. 54.

    See Nic Shuibhne (2002) and Dubos and Guset (2015), p. 131.

  55. 55.

    Art. 207(4)(a) TFEU.

  56. 56.

    See Art. 1 of the Decision No 1934/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Year of Languages 2001 OJ L 232/1 – 5 (2000): ‘2. During the European Year of Languages, information and promotional measures will be undertaken on the theme of languages, with the aim of encouraging language learning by all persons residing in the Member States. These measures will cover the official languages of the Community, together with Irish, Letzeburgesch, and other languages in line with those identified by the Member States for the purpose of implementing this Decision.’.

  57. 57.

    Kraus and Kazlauskaitė-Gürbüz (2014), pp. 518–519; similarly, Climent-Ferrando (2016), p. 11.

  58. 58.

    Kraus and Kazlauskaitė-Gürbüz (2014), p. 524.

  59. 59.

    Case C-216/18, Minister for Justice and Equality v LM, (ECJ July 2018) and Case C-618/18, Gabriele Di Girolamo v Ministero della Giustizia, (ECJ 24 June 2019). Formally, Article 19 TEU, in conjunction with Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, was the scrutinized provision, but the Court declared that Article 19 TEU ‘gives concrete expression to the value of the rule of law affirmed in Article 2 TEU’ (para. 50 and 47, respectively). The Court ruled that ‘although […] the organisation of justice in the Member States falls within the competence of those Member States, the fact remains that, when exercising that competence, the Member States are required to comply with their obligations deriving from EU law’ (C-618/18, para. 52).

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  1. National University of Distance Education (UNED), Faculty of Law, Madrid, Spain

    Xabier Arzoz

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  1. Europa-Institut, Faculty of Law, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Thomas Giegerich

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Arzoz, X. (2020). The Protection and Promotion of Language Equality in the EU: Gaps, Paradoxes, and Double Standards. In: Giegerich, T. (eds) The European Union as Protector and Promoter of Equality. European Union and its Neighbours in a Globalized World, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43764-0_5

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