On the morning of the 5th February at the European Parliament, the Network to Promote of Linguistic Diversty (NPLD) launched the first phase of The European Roadmap for Linguistic Diversity: a consultation period among citizens and stakeholders.
The aim of The Roadmap for Linguistic Diversity (NPLD2020) is to outline a new vision for the future of languages and linguistic diversity within the European Union. Through a number of strategic recommendations, the Roadmap builds on the Resolution on Endangered Languages passed with a 92% majority by the European Parliament in September 2013. The Roadmap presents a well structured plan which would ensure that the languages of Europe are able to survive and prosper.
Jill Evans, Vice-President of the EFA Group, opened the event, she was followed by Jordi Sebastià, MEP and Chair of the Intergroup for Languages at the European Parliament. Speakers also include Markus Österlund the Secretary General at Svenska Finlands Folktinget who is the lead partner within the network on developing the strategy and NPLD’s Chair, Ms Jannewietske de Vries, who will give an overview of the main recommendations of the roadmap. The closing remarks were madeby Joe MacHugh TD from the Government of Ireland who is the Minister of State with special responsibility for Gaeltacht affairs and Patxi Baztarrika, Deputy Minister for Language Policy of the Basque Country.
The Roadmap aims to open the discussion on the way forward for European institutions which will enable them to strengthen the vitality of languages, create prosperous economies and build cohesive societies. With four major practical lines of action that, if implemented, will ensure that the European Union translates its positive vision regarding linguistic diversity into concrete, tangible and far reaching measures.
Over the next few months, the Roadmap for Linguistic Diversity will develop a high level vision of a multilingual and linguistically diverse Europe and will provide some guidelines which will outline future developments for all the languages of Europe, including state, regional, minority, lesser used, cross border and migrant languages. It will also outline the collective responsibility of the European Union and its members to preserve, promote and enhance the use and status of all the languages spoken in Europe today.