The launch of the European Network to promote linguistic diversity

Leonard Orban European Commissioner responsible for multilingualism "The launch of the European Network to promote linguistic diversity" Address at the launch of the European Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity Brussels, 11th June 2008 1 Ministers, Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very pleased to attend the official launch of the European Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity. Yours is one of three language networks that were selected for European funding through our new Lifelong Learning Programme. It is excellent news that one of these networks is dedicated to Europe's less widely used languages. Through the Programme, the benefits of your work will be circulated to other stakeholders across Europe. The Linguistic Diversity Network has the potential to become a powerful instrument for promoting these languages. By sharing good practices and giving the smaller language communities the chance to learn from the expertise of the most advanced language planning boards, your innovative ideas will give a new impetus to linguistic diversity in Europe. Your success in establishing this Network demonstrates that the new approach is the right one. I can only express my satisfaction with the excellent work developed so far. I also know that the new network is even more ambitious. You intend to reach a larger audience and involve universities, research centres and NGOs, to make linguistic diversity stronger in Europe. While the Member States have primary responsibility for language policies, joining forces at European level is a shortcut to delivering results. All EU cooperation starts with the fact that we can learn from the great richness of Europe's diversity. All our actions focus on bringing improvements to citizens' lives, and on making something tangible out of the European project. In 2 every sphere – whether it is languages, globalisation, climate change – none of us can reach alone what we can achieve by joining forces. A partnership approach allows us to tackle common challenges in a more ambitious framework. It ensures that diverse language communities, often geographically distant from each other, can build on each others' good practices and initiatives. Languages build bridges that foster dialogue and promote respect for other cultures. They open our horizons to the richness of our heritage that all of us in Europe should cherish and preserve. Respecting and promoting linguistic diversity lays the ground for all citizens to take an active part in social, economic and cultural life. If citizens living sideby-side can interact around and through their different cultures and languages, the social web will become stronger and more steeped in respect. The Network's objectives directly complement our European strategy to further promote linguistic diversity in the European Union. European multilingualism policy values all languages: official, regional, minority and migrant languages. Within the Commission, we are committed to putting in place a solid strategy for the future that reflects the multicultural, multilingual nature of Europe. Advantages of multilingualism are building inclusive societies, better skills and better job opportunities and competitiveness over other trading blocks. The Network's emphasis on economic competitiveness ties in with work the Commission is doing through the Business and Languages Forum. The forum will produce a report in July, and I am sure we will see useful synergies emerging. The report of the Maalouf group can also offer the Network food for thought. As you know, I asked a group of intellectuals led by Amin Maalouf, the French- 3 Lebanese writer, to come up with proposals for how languages can strengthen intercultural dialogue, in this year dedicated to that theme. Their proposal that all Europeans should not only learn a language for the purposes of international communication, but should also learn a foreign language with the depth of a 'second mother tongue', is highly relevant to the millions of citizens speaking regional and minority languages. Many are bilingual, or even trilingual, as we all know. Some of you here today have two mother tongues, and you are the best placed to know how mother-tongue communication is crucial for one's identity and personal fulfilment. Let me wish you all the best in your work. Multilingualism is an asset for Europe, but one that we must nurture. I look forward to working on promoting Europe's linguistic diversity together with the European Network. 4