European Commissioner-designate Orban pledges to support EU’s objective of two foreign language learning

Most of the European Union members states have worked out action plans, upon the recommendation of the European Commission, regarding the objective of the 2002 Barcelona European Council concerning the use on the widest possible scale within the European Union of two foreign languages, besides the mother tongue, Romania’s European Commissioner-designate Leonard Orban told journalists at a news conference following his hearings on Monday before the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament.

“We have a decision of the 2002 Barcelona European Council. As far as multilingualism is concerned, the European Commission recommended that the member states come up with action plans regarding this objective. Most of the member states have already worked out the plans and I believe this is an important step forward toward the achievement of the objective,” Orban told the journalists.

In Orban’s opinion, the use of at least one foreign language, in addition to the mother tongue, is highly useful, particularly for young people. “Romanians have a capability of easily learning many foreign languages. The system of mother tongue plus two foreign languages has very useful instruments for the learning of foreign languages. I do not intend to promote any legislative act at the EU level but I will borrow the best practices to promote what I believe is a useful instrument,” said Orban.

He also explained the need to know more languages in order to secure efficiency of EU meetings. “Sometimes we have to speak two or three languages to make sure meetings are efficient. There is a clear status of languages within various European bodiesÂ… I do not think English alone will suffice,” said Orban, adding that all good projects for the promotion of the “mother tongue plus two foreign languages” in the European Union will certainly find funding to be carried out. ROMPRES

RELATED NEWS

• Romanian European Commissioner sworn in today
New European Commissioner for Multilingualism, Romanian Leonard Orban, and the future representative of Bulgaria in the EC Meglena Kuneva will be sworn in officially in a ceremony at the European Court of Justice on Monday. The two have already attended their first EC session on January 11 this year, shortly after Romania joined the
• Debates in Brussels on translation, the ‘language of Europe’
Agerpres correspondent Petronela Gruev reports: Sixteen known translators, writers and editors and literary critics from various European countries participated, on Thursday, in Brussels, at the invitation of President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Durao Barroso and of commissioner for multilingualism Leonard Orban, in a lunch-debate on issues related to translation and culture. Among the
• EPP is confident Leonard Orban is competent to become European Commissioner
Leonard Orban’s hearing for the position of European Commissioner,having taken place on Monday in the European Parliament (EP) Committee on Culture, was positive, reads a press release issued by the European People’s Party (EPP) group, the largest political one in the EP.
• ForMin Comanescu to attend informal meeting of EU foreign ministers
Romania’s Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu will attend the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers (Gymnich) and the Conference of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs from the Barcelona Process countries due in Marseille, on Nov 3-4. During the informal meeting (Gymnich), the EU foreign ministers will continue the talks started in Avignon, on Sept 5-6, on
• Romania fares much better than her reputation in Europe shows, Leonard Orban says
Leonard Orban, the first European Commissioner from Romania, is to take over on January 1, 2007 his job as the European Commissioner for Multilingualism. On this occasion, Orban gave an interview to the Austrian online publication OoeNachrichten, in which he explains why he wants the Europeans to learn foreign languages and what should Europe