get PDF document - MIRIS

More documents

Recommendations

Info

languages involved. We could say that it excludes the possibility of going backwards in linguistic matters, although by itself it does not imply progress in the contents regarding protection. There are however two matters for which it is necessary to study in detail the possibilities that the European Charter provides to enlarge the present regulatory framework: on the one hand, in relation with Article 7.1.b) which makes it obligatory to respect the geographical linguistic area avoiding administrative divisions which are a hindrance to the fostering of the regional or minority language; and, on the other, in relation to Article 14 (b) which legitimates the existence of a crossborder linguistic cooperation at the level of local and regional authorities. In fact, in view of Article 7.1.b) we may find enough arguments to progress towards the idea of a sole linguistic authority for languages which are the object of regulation in more than one Autonomous Community, or at least to perhaps be able to speak of the necessary interautonomous cooperation in the protection and promotion of these languages. Thus, in the case of the Catalan language, subject to different autonomous regulations within Spain, as long as this administrative division is a hindrance for the language, the Charter would oblige the removal or overcoming of this hindrance, always taking into account the constitutional limit of the prohibition of federation agreements between the different autonomous bodies. Also as regards the agreements between substate bodies of different states in linguistic matters, we understand that the Charter makes an important contribution to the Spanish legislation by excluding this agreement of linguistic cooperation from the prohibition of concluding international agreements by Autonomous Communities on the basis of a rigorous constitutional interpretation of the state reservation of international relations. Spain, by means of ratifying the European Charter, expressly accepts this possibility, and from this moment on, the interpretation of the central state’s exclusivity in matters regarding international relations will have to be made more flexible with the possibility of international agreements in linguistic matters between substate bodies. 28
At any rate, the most important contribution of the European Charter to the framework of the juridical regulation of the languages of Spain is found in the control mechanism it establishes by means of the state obligation of presenting periodical reports on the application of the Charter. These state reports will be analysed by an Committee of Experts, made up of one member of each party state, appointed by the Ministerial Committee from among a list of people “with maximum integrity and with recognised competency in the matters dealt with in the Charter”. Practice demonstrates to us that this model of composition of a Committee usually ends up changing: from a Committee of Experts to a delegates’ committee of the state governments, while the Ministerial Committee, of an unequivocal intergovernmental nature, tends to follow the prioritisation and the recommendations of each state member in the appointment of the experts. But the generally contradictory nature of the analysis of state reports opens up a way of hope; for instance, Article 16.1 of the Charter states that the organisations and associations legally established in a party state will be able to draw the attention of the Committee of Experts to matters regarding the fulfilment of the Charter. The text is not too clear, but it does not seem to indicate that the party states are the ones which can entitle some associations or bodies; it seems to indicate that any legally constituted association or organisation may draw the attention of the Committee. This opens the door to the possibility that different public bodies -local and autonomous administrations, universities..- and civic associations or study and research centres may urge or draw the attention of the Committee to matters which arise by the application of the European Charter. This can be done by counterbalancing pieces of state information or by providing new data. These pieces of information, once consulted with the party state, may be taken into consideration by the Committee of Experts when writing its report and presenting it before the Ministerial Committee. In addition to this, the Committee of Experts will be able to send recommendations to the state members once their reports and the pieces of information received have been analysed. Although in the mechanism we have just seen the possibilities for non-governmental opinions to have some effect are not guaranteed, there is 29
Page 1 and 2: [ The Ratification of Spain of the
Page 3 and 4: The approach from more cultural tha
Page 5 and 6: possibility of choosing between the
Page 7 and 8: specific language; however, the fun
Page 9 and 10: 2001, that the ratification device
Page 11 and 12: addition to that, in the government
Page 13 and 14: of the VI Term, it was worthwhile d
Page 15 and 16: Spain has to present to the Europea
Page 17 and 18: José Antonio Labordeta Subías, MP
Page 19 and 20: 4. The obligations assumed by Spain
Page 21 and 22: development of the proceedings in r
Page 23 and 24: same, it integrally accepted Articl
Page 25 and 26: excludes languages such as Saxon, S
Page 27: official languages of the territory
Page 31: it will need the support of the par

get PDF document - MIRIS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?