[Corpora-List] RE: Constitution

[Santos Diana]

One more piece of information and a question:

So does the Portuguese: 
official language: Portuguese :-)

(from http://www.parlamento.pt/const_leg/crp_port/)

Artigo 11.º
(Símbolos nacionais e língua oficial) 
1. A Bandeira Nacional, símbolo da soberania da República, da independência, unidade e integridade de Portugal, é a adoptada pela República instaurada pela Revolução de 5 de Outubro de 1910.

2. O Hino Nacional é A Portuguesa.

3. A língua oficial é o Português.


But: 
I think there is a subtle distinction in the new Europese between "official languages" and "working languages", and we (Portuguese speakers) heard with dismay a while ago that in the new EU, Portuguese is NO LONGER a working language... or this has been at least proposed. 

Is there anyone in this list who can point us to the right place where this concept ("EU working language") is defined and where reliable information about them can be found? (I found a lot of discussion of this issue on the Web in both Portuguese and Brazilian sites, but could not ascertain whether this is already a fact or just a fear.)

But, if this is true, then it does not matter what the official languages are any longer, but what the "working languages" are ;-)
 
Diana


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-corpora at lists.uib.no [mailto:owner-corpora at lists.uib.no] On Behalf Of Michel Généreux
Sent: 23. mai 2005 15:43
To: CORPORA at UIB.NO
Subject: Re: [Corpora-List] RE: Constitution

Bart Defrancq wrote:

>
> Dear Jean,
>
>>
>> Well, why is the term "official languages" not included in the 
>> Constitution then (I thought that it was intended to be a recap of 
>> all the important concepts of the EU) ? I would have felt better.
>>
> I don't know of many constitutions which do mention the official 
> languages of the country: the Spanish one does, i know and the French, 
> but only recently. The US's does not. Even the Belgian does not (!):
>
Canada does:     http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/const/annex_e.html#I

"(1) English and French are the official languages of Canada and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and government of Canada."

Michel G.