Extracts from ECRML report on Spain (19 OCT 2019)

Here is a summary of the main Recommendations in the Fifth report of the Committee of Experts in respect of Spain, European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, 9 October 2019.
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Source: https://search.coe.int/cm/Pages/result_details.aspx?ObjectId=090000168096fa01

1356^th meeting, 9 October 2019

10.4 European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

a. Fifth report of the Committee of Experts in respect of Spain

...

Recommendations for immediate action

* Amend the Organic Law on the Judiciary so as to ensure the use of Basque / Valencian/Catalan / Galician in judicial proceedings when requested by one of the parties.

* Use Basque in State admin. in the Basque Country / Navarre

*Use Valencian/Catalan in State admin. in the Balearic Islands / Catalonia / Valencian Community.

* Make education available in Valencian/Catalan at all levels of education.

* Include the names of Aragonese and Catalan in the Statute of Autonomy of Aragon.

* Recognise Valencian/Catalan as an expression of cultural wealth in the Region of Murcia.

* Take urgent measures to protect and promote Valencian/Catalan in the Region of Murcia.

* Remove the limitations to teaching in Galician at all appropriate levels of education.

* Use Galician in State admin. in Galicia.
* Develop a structured policy for the protection of the Galician language on the Asturian territory where it is spoken (Eo-Navia region).

* Include the names of Galician-Asturian in the Statute of Autonomy of Asturias.

* Take immediate action to protect Galician in Castile and León.

* Take immediate action to protect Fala/Galician in Extremadura.

* Take measures to ensure education in #Aranese at all appropriate levels.

* Take immediate action to protect Amazigh in Melilla.

* Include the name of #Asturian in the Statute of Autonomy of Asturias.

* Take resolute action to protect and promote Leonese in Castile and León, particularly in education.

* Take resolute action to promote and revitalise Portuguese in Extremadura, particularly in education.

Chapter 3 [Proposals for] Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe

The Committee of Experts, while acknowledging the efforts the Spanish authorities have undertaken to protect the regional and minority languages spoken in their country, has in its evaluation chosen to concentrate on some of the most important deficiencies in the implementation of the Charter. The recommendations forwarded by the Committee of Experts to the Committee of Ministers should not, however, be interpreted as diminishing the relevance of the other, more detailed observations contained in the report, which remain valid in their own right. The recommendations proposed by the Committee of Experts are drafted accordingly.

The Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, in accordance with Article 16, paragraph 4 of the Charter, proposes on the basis of the information contained in this report, that the Committee of Ministers makes the following recommendations to Spain.

The Committee of Ministers,

In accordance with Article 16 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,

• Bearing in mind the instrument of ratification deposited by Spain on 9 April 2001;
• Having taken note of the evaluation made by the Committee of Experts of the Charter with respect to the application of the Charter by Spain;
• Having taken note of the comments submitted by the Spanish authorities on the content of the report of the Committee of Experts;
• Bearing in mind that this evaluation is based on information submitted by Spain in its fifth periodical report, supplementary information given by the Spanish authorities, information submitted by bodies and associations legally established in Spain and on the information obtained by the Committee of Experts during its on-the-spot visit;

Recommends that the Spanish authorities take account of all the observations and recommendations of the Committee of Experts and, as a matter of priority:

1. amend the Organic Law on the Judiciary so as to ensure the use of the co-official languages in judicial proceedings at the request of one of the parties;
2. use the co-official languages in State administration in the Autonomous Communities;
3. remove the limitations to the teaching in Galician in Galicia and Valencian/Catalan in Valencia;
4. Include the names of Part II languages in the Statutes of Autonomy of the Autonomous Communities where these languages are spoken;
5. Clarify the status and situation of Arabic/Darija in Ceuta, Caló as a non-territorial language of Spain, Estremeñu in Extremadura and Portuguese in Castile and León.

The Committee of Ministers invites the Spanish authorities to submit the information on the recommendations for immediate action by 1 August 2020 and on the next periodical report by 1 August 2023.