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31 March 1993
Doc. 6801
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS
Reply to Recommendation 1135 (1990)
on literary translation
(adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 22 March 1993
at the 490th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)
Further to its interim reply to Recommendation 1135 (1990) on literary translation, adopted in February 1991, the Committee of Ministers would like to inform the Assembly of the following:
At the 7th Conference of European Ministers responsible for Cultural Affairs (Paris, 15-16 October 1992), the Ministers adopted a rResolution on "Reading, books and publishing in Europe". The Committee of Ministers at its 486th meeting (January 1993) decided to transmit this resolution to the Council for Cultural Co-operation (CDCC) with a request to bear it in mind when considering its future activities.
In the resolution, the Conference asks the Committee of Ministers to invite the CDCC and other competent bodies of the Council of Europe to encourage measures aimed at maintaining the diversity of literary production. These include:
- taking an interest in maintaining a sufficiently dense network of bookshops and libraries throughout Europe;
- supporting current efforts to translate and publish books that contribute to a deeper knowledge of European history, culture or thought, particularly in the less common languages; and
- examining, in consultation with the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, special initiatives relating to the vocational training of the various agents in the book production process, to the publication of schoolbooks and academic texts and to the upgrading of library collections.
In November 1992 the Committee of Ministers adopted, in the Intergovernmental Programme of Activities for 1993, a new project, No. IV.38 entitled "Books, reading and translation", which includes the promotion of translation. The project aims:
- to support the training of translators, looking towards the setting up of translators' centres or colleges as well as promoting, through individual fellowships, the preparation of translations. Particular attention will be given to translators who work in less widely spoken languages;
- to provide financial support for the translation of two types of text: literary texts of a specific type and scientific texts;
- to promote the compilation of a European collection of major texts available in most European languages (European library of ideas).
As to the Assembly's proposal to set up a literary translation fund, Project IV.38 is financed within the Cultural Fund. Voluntary contributions and other sources of funding are being sought. Depending upon the evolution of the project, the creation of a formal fund might be considered, if appropriate, in due course."