Council of Europe publishes second report on regional languages in Austria

[Harold Schiffman]

Council of Europe publishes second report on regional languages in Austria
	
Brussel - Bruxelles, Tuesday, 17 March 2009 by Davyth Hicks

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers published the second
report on the situation of regional languages in Austria on Monday
(16th March). This report has been drawn up by a committee of
independent experts which monitors the application of the European
Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. On the basis of the
report, the Committee of Ministers calls on Austria to adopt a
structured policy for the protection and promotion of all languages
protected under the Charter, especially in Vienna, and create
favourable conditions for their use in public life.

Furthermore, the increasing demand for regional or minority language
education in Austria needs to be met with an adequate offer for both
speakers and non-speakers of the languages, says the Committee. The
report continues that Austria should also ensure that Burgenland
Croatian, Slovenian and Hungarian languages can be used before the
relevant judicial and administrative authorities in practice. In this
context, the ruling of the Constitutional Court relating to the use of
the Slovenian language before administrative authorities in Carinthia
is to be implemented without delay.

Finally, the Committee of Ministers recommends the increase of
television broadcasting in Hungarian and to secure adequate funding
for newspapers in Burgenland-Croatian, Slovenian and Hungarian. The
regional or minority languages protected under the Charter in Austria
are Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Hungarian and Romani. (Eurolang
2009)

Full text of the report and the Committee of Ministers' recommendations

Further information can also be found on the Charter's website, or by
contacting the Charter Secretariat (minlang.secretariat at coe.int – Tel:
+33 (0)3 88 41 31 86).

http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3150&Itemid=1&lang=en

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