ELEN Press Releases
UN Special Rapporteur for Minorities slams EU for its lack of protection of European minoritized languages.
Speaking in Brussels today, the UN Special Rapporteur for Minority Issues, Nicolas Levrat, strongly criticised the EU over its double standards regarding minority protection in general and the continuing lack of protection for European minoritized and endangered...
ELEN calls on EU to take action to protect European minoritised languages at the UN Forum for Minority Issues
ELEN has issued a formal statement at the UN Forum for Minority Issues in Geneva calling on the EU to take action to protect European minoritized and endangered languages, something that the EU is required to do under Article 2 of the Lisbon Treaty. The statement,...
ELEN General Assembly 2025: language activists to campaign for EU measures to protect European minoritized languages.
Around 100 delegates representing 182 language activist organisations gathered in Barcelona over the weekend for the 2025 ELEN General Assembly hosted by CIEMEN and supported by the Catalan Government and Barcelona Council. The meeting covered a wide range of issues...
Events
The Council of Europe’s European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), adopted in 1992, aims to protect and promote European indigenous minoritised and endangered languages, which are spoken daily by around 40 million people. It covers territorial languages such as Welsh, Breton, and Sámi, as well as non-territorial languages like Romani.
The Charter uses a flexible two-tier system. Part II sets out eight fundamental principles, including recognition, promotion, and education, that apply to all territorial minoritised languages in ratifying states. Part III offers a menu of 68 concrete undertakings across key sectors, and states must select at least 35 for each language they choose to protect. These measures aim to ensure that languages are taught, used in public services and courts, promoted in media and culture, encouraged in the workplace, and supported across the territories where the languages are spoken.
Implementation is monitored by an independent Committee of Experts (COMEX), which reviews reports submitted every three years, conducts on-the-spot visits, publishes evaluation reports, and informs recommendations issued by the Committee of Ministers. ELEN and its member organisations contribute with shadow reports to support monitoring.
So far, 25 states have ratified the Charter, while France, Italy, and Greece are notable non-ratifiers. All EU accession states are required to ratify it under the Copenhagen criteria, and ELEN continues to advocate for this. Although the Charter does not grant language rights and needs updating for the digital era, it remains a important tool to protect European minoritised languages and monitor their well-being. ✊🗣️
#DidYouKnow #EuropeanCharter #RegionalLanguages #MinorityLanguages #ECRML
