[lg policy] Spain: Catalonia triples fines against businesses not using Catalan

[Harold Schiffman]

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A cafe in Tarragona, Catalonia. Photo: Jake Bellucci
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Creative Commons.
Catalonia triples fines against businesses not using Catalan

Published: 26 Apr 2016 12:35 GMT+02:00
Updated: 26 Apr 2016 12:35 GMT+02:00
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*Spain’s separatist-driven northeastern region has stepped up fines against
restaurants and bars for not using the local language on things like menus
and signs.*

   - *Finally Spanish PM meets with Catalan separatist leader
   <http://www.thelocal.es/20160421/spain-pm-holds-talks-with-catalan-separatist-leader-catalonia-rajoy-puigdemont>*
   (21 Apr 16)
   - *Catalan leader rules out independence during mandate
   <http://www.thelocal.es/20160404/catalan-leader-rules-out-independence-during-mandate>*
   (04 Apr 16)
   - *Ten things you need to know about the new president of Catalonia
   <http://www.thelocal.es/20160111/ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-catalonias-new-president>*
   (11 Jan 16)

The Catalan government revealed in a parliamentary inquiry recently by the
conservative Popular Party (PP) that the amount of fines against businesses
that did not use Catalan increased by 173 percent in the past year.

The government had issued fines totalling €51,350 in 2014, but by 2015, the
fines had soared to €140,000, Spanish media reported this week.

The autonomous region has a language policy that requires businesses to
offer their services in Catalan, including on signs, menus, wine lists and
prices, according to the government’s website.

Both Catalan and Castilian Spanish are official languages in the autonomous
region, but the government’s policy also grants certain protections for the
regional tongue.

"The concept of Catalonia's own language applied to Catalan commits the
public authorities and institutions in Catalonia to safeguard Catalan, to
use it in a general manner and to promote its public use at all levels,"
the Catalonian government website on the policy states
<http://llengua.gencat.cat/en/detalls/article/Preambul-00005>.

Some 68 companies were fined in 2015 over the language policy, up from 57
in 2014, according to El Mundo
<http://www.elmundo.es/cataluna/2016/04/22/571a0f33e5fdea08738b457b.html>.
Most were bars and restaurants in Barcelona that did not include Catalan on
their menus.

And more than 20 of the companies fined were based in places outside of
Catalonia.


*Story continues
belowhttp://www.thelocal.es/20160426/catalonia-nearly-triples-fines-against-shops-for-not-using-catalan
<http://www.thelocal.es/20160426/catalonia-nearly-triples-fines-against-shops-for-not-using-catalan>*--

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