Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14278 | 27 March 2017

The protection and promotion of regional and minority languages in Europe

Signatories: Ms Rózsa HOFFMANN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Viorel Riceard BADEA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Mónika BARTOS, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Boryslav BEREZA, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Raphaël COMTE, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Lady Diana ECCLES, United Kingdom, EC ; Ms Adele GAMBARO, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Francesco Maria GIRO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Carlos Alberto GONÇALVES, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Márton GYÖNGYÖSI, Hungary, NR ; Mr Rafael HUSEYNOV, Azerbaijan, ALDE ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Miroslava NĚMCOVÁ, Czech Republic, EC ; Mr Zsolt NÉMETH, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Gabriela PECKOVÁ, Czech Republic, EPP/CD ; Ms María Concepción de SANTA ANA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Rita TAMAŠUNIENĖ, Lithuania, EC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Parliamentary Assembly reaffirms its support for the protection and promotion of regional and minority languages, as stated in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of 1992. The Assembly reiterates the unique significance of native-tongue education for strengthening the identities of minorities, which shall be protected.

The Assembly stresses the need for periodical reports by the State Parties, as foreseen in Article 15 of the Charter, and regrets that reports by certain countries are several months, in some cases even several years overdue.

In the absence of such reports, which are intended to provide a solid basis for evaluating the situation of regional and minority languages, the Assembly resolves to examine the current situation of regional and minority languages in European States with a view to identifying and proposing suitable measures to redress any shortcomings.

This should include measures to improve the information provided to the Assembly by the State Parties about the situation of their regional and/or minority languages.