Brussels, 3 October 1996

Dear Colleague,

There are more than eighty of us in the European parliament who believe that we can no longer continue to confront the problem of linguistic communication whether it be inside the institutions or for the unity of the citizens of the union by simply acting as if the problem does not exist.

With regard to our Parliament, the costs of the translation and interpretation services devour a third of the budget. Nevertheless we often experience, especially during the session in Strasbourg, the "technical" limits of the adopted system. Rarely, do we see a vote where a colleague does not remark one or another translation problem. We see an increasing number of incidents where interruptions of interpretations occur, for whatever reason (in some languages more than other).

We also know that this is a delicate and sensitive issue, as it touches upon the heart of our respective national identities.

However, it is evident that this problem will become even more urgent with the expansion of the Union. The system used today will no longer be able to function when the total number of languages to be translated and interpreted will increase to 25 or more.

It is also clear that the neutral language of communication 'Esperanto' does not enjoy a good reputation, and that an enormous effort will have to be made to overcome the existing prejudices. It has to be made very clear that the ambition is not in any way to replace our diverse languages with this neutral language, but to make it our first "common" communication language, besides the other languages from which each citizen is free to choose (so definitely not our "only" language).

Here then is a brief presentation of an issue that deserves further development. To be able to move further than the stage of reflection, I permit myself to propose to you a first initiative: the introduction of a draft resolution, in accordance with article 45 of our rules of procedure. If we succeed in getting sufficient support, we could even consider depositing an oral question with debate to rapidly start a profound debate on this question.

Hoping that you are willing to support this initiative, and being at your disposal for any questions,

Your sincerely,

Oliver Dupuis

Enclosure: list of members of our Parliament who have expressed their support for the introduction of a neutral communication language.