Maciver, Matthew Macleod, (born 5 July 1946), UK Independent Member, Committee of Experts, European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, Council of Europe, since 2013

2008 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Minority Languages ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Independent Member ◽  
Regional Or Minority Languages

scholarly journals The Council of Europe and the European Union frameworks in the legal protection of minority languages: unity or diversity?

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 347-366
Author(s):  
Alessia Vacca
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Treaty Of Lisbon ◽  
National Minorities ◽  
Charter Of Fundamental Rights ◽  
Regional Or Minority Languages

This article focuses on the comparison between European Union Law and Council of Europe Law in the field of the protection of minority languages and looks at the relationships between the two systems. The Council of Europe has been very important in the protection of minority languages, having created two treaties of particular relevance: the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 1992 and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in 1995; both treaties contain many detailed provisions relating to minority languages. Not all countries, even of the European Union, have ratified these treaties. 12 out of 27 EU countries did not ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The European Union supports multilingualism because it wants to achieve unity while maintaining diversity. Important steps, with respect to minority languages, were taken in the European Community, notably in the form of European Parliament Resolutions. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, approved in Nice the 7th December 2000, contains art. 21 and art. 22 related to this topic. The Treaty of Lisbon makes a cross reference to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union which is, consequently, legally binding under the Treaty of Lisbon since December 2009. The Charter could give ground for appeal to the European Court of Justice in cases of discrimination on the grounds of language

scholarly journals The problem of developing multilingualism skills in the European educational context

2020 ◽  
pp. 109-117
Author(s):  
Mariya Vynarchyk
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Scientific Article ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Educational Context ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Scientific Cooperation ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Regional Or Minority Languages

The scientific article explores the problem of developing multilingualism skills in the European educational context. For this purpose, the task was to analyze the conditions and ways of realizing the problem of multilingualism in the modern educational field and to study the features of European multilingualism in the context of cultural diversity. The methodology of the study is based on the coverage and analysis of cognitive and practical multilingualism skills. European education policy is analyzed. Addressing the issue of multilingualism is one of the most important activities of the Council of Europe, the European Commission and is covered by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and in numerous resolutions of international conferences and symposia. It is established that one of the main goals of education in a democratic society is not only respect for human rights, but also the development of knowledge, skills and abilities of students, their preparation for life in civil society. Research has shown that multilingual people in Europe have advantages over monolinguals. More than half of all Europeans say they speak at least one language other than their mother tongue. The study showed that multilingualism is beneficial for people who are supporters of intercultural and linguistic interaction based on tolerance and humanism. Modern European educational policy is aimed at developing multilingual skills. This demonstrates the importance and timeliness of solving the problem in the educational environment with the active support of students and teachers, the financial capacity of European educational programs and projects of governments of leading European countries. As part of this task, it is important to actively support the mobility of students and teachers, to develop scientific cooperation, cultural interaction. Thanks to the intensive development of multilingual skills, it is possible to achieve the required level of language competence of students as a basis for their further learning and self-improvement. Since the modern educational community is focused on the highest human values, the personal development of schoolchildren and students is considered a priority for the functioning of European educational institutions.

International Developments 2015: Cultural Activities and Facilities, Including the Media

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-119
Author(s):  
Mariya Riekkinen
Keyword(s):  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Minority Rights ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Cultural Activities ◽  
Cultural Rights ◽  
Legal Context ◽  
The Media ◽  
Regional Or Minority Languages ◽  
Point Of Departure

This section gives an overview of international developments from the perspective of minority rights concerning cultural activities and cultural facilities, as well as the issues of the media and, more broadly, freedom of expression. In dealing with cultural activities and facilities, it departs from the provisions of Article 12 of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (ETS No. 148). Although the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages provide the conceptual point of departure, this section does not limit its analysis to only language issues but addresses a wider framework of cultural rights of persons belonging to minorities. International developments in the said fields are tracked not only at the European level of minority rights regulation but also at the level of the United Nations. By examining the UN praxis in the area of minority rights, we remain focused on minority issues, including indigenous issues, within the European legal context. This section starts with the analysis of the 2015 developments inside the un, and continues to address those of the OSCE, the EU, and the Council of Europe.

Techniques for Protecting Minority Languages under Belgian Federalism

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-236
Author(s):  
Ludo Veny ◽  
Brecht Warnez
Keyword(s):  
Minority Languages ◽  
Language Group ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
National Minorities ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Major Language ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
Regional Or Minority Languages ◽  
Federal Structure

As one of the few countries in the Council of Europe, Belgium has, to date, not ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities as well as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Nevertheless, minorities are protected in Belgium due to its specific federal structure. Several instruments provide a balance between the two major language groups in the country: the Flemish and the French-speaking language group. This article focuses on these special techniques and situates them in the historical and specific judicial background of Belgium.

Language Rights of European Minorities in the Administration of Justice, Public Administration and Public Services

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-140
Author(s):  
Noémi Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Language Rights ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
National Minorities ◽  
Administration Of Justice ◽  
Regional Or Minority Languages

This article provides an overview of European minorities’ language rights in the administration of justice, public administration, and public services in 2019. Relevant legal developments are presented in the activities of the major international organizations, i.e. the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, and the Council of Europe. Since the most relevant treaties on the language rights of minorities in Europe are the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, special attention is paid to the implementation thereof. Whereas international monitoring mechanisms devoted to the effective protection of minorities are abundant, language rights of national minorities receive less attention, especially in the fields of official language use, that is, in public administration and justice. The regulation of these areas has been traditionally considered as almost exclusively belonging to the states’ competence, and international organizations are consequently reluctant to interfere. As a result, the official use of minority languages differs in the various countries of Europe, with both good practices (e.g. the Netherlands, Spain, Finland) and unbalanced situations (e.g. Estonia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan).

scholarly journals Standardising Cornish

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Sayers
Keyword(s):  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
New Public ◽  
Different Orthographies ◽  
Single Standard ◽  
Regional Or Minority Languages

The last recorded native speaker of the Cornish language died in 1777. Since the nineteenth century, amateur scholars have made separate attempts to reconstruct its written remains, each creating a different orthography. Later, following recognition under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2002, Cornish gained new status. However, with government support came the governmental framework of “New Public Management”, which emphasises quantifiable outcomes to measure performance. This built implicit pressure towards finding a single standard orthography, for greatest efficiency. There followed a six-year debate among supporters of the different orthographies, usually quite heated, about which should prevail. This debate exemplified the importance of standardisation for minority languages, but its ultimate conclusion saw all sides giving way, and expediency, not ideology, prevailing. It also showed that standardisation was not imposed explicitly within language policy, but emerged during the language planning process.

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