Plaid Cymru's campaign for Welsh to become an official EU language took a step forward today when the party's Deputy Leader Jill Evans MEP became the first person to speak legally in Welsh during a parliamentary debate since new rules were adopted last month.
Following pressure from Ms Evans, who leads the Plaid Cymru campaign for official European Union recognition for Welsh, MEPs are now allowed to speak in a non-official EU language, although their remarks are not translated. Previously this was banned and speakers would be prevented from continuing in their own languages.
Addressing the Strasbourg Parliament's debate on last week's EU summit, Jill Evans MEP said:
"We are at a very important stage in the development of the European Union. I welcome the recent EU summit's conclusion that there has to be a balance between the economic, social and environmental dimensions. But the cultural dimension also needs to be addressed more effectively - celebrating our diversity. I welcome the emphasis that was put on communication at the summit. We now need to see action to improve the relationship and communication between the EU and the peoples of Europe.
"There is no more effective way of doing that than by using peoples own languages. That is why I will take the opportunity presented by the decision of 13 October to permit the use of other languages in this house and I will conclude my speech in Welsh.
"Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'r cyfle i siarad yn y siambr hon yn Gymraeg yn gyfreithlon am y tro cyntaf, er nad oes 'na gyfieithu. Rwy'n credu bod hwn yn gam ymlaen tuag at Ewrop o'r pobloedd ac Ewrop sydd yn dathlu ei amrywiaeth. Diwylliant yw'r pedwaredd dimensiwn mewn adeiladu Ewrop - ynghyd a'r economi, yr amgylchedd a'r dimensiwn cymdeithasol. Rhoddodd y Cyngor llawer o bwyslais ar gyfathrebu. Pa ffordd gwell sydd o gyfathrebu gyda phobl nag yn eu hieithoedd eu hunain."
Translation: "I appreciate the opportunity to be allowed to speak Welsh in this chamber, legally, for the first time, even if there is no translation. This is a step forward towards a Europe of the peoples and a Europe that celebrates its diversity. Culture is the fourth dimension in building Europe - in addition to the economic, environmental and social dimensions. The recent EU summit put considerable emphasis on communication. What better way is there than to communicate with people in their own languages."
Responding to MEPs, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende (whose government holds the EU Presidency) said that he would take note of calls for improving the status of Welsh and Irish in the European Union's communications.
In July the debate on official EU languages was reopened when the Irish Prime Minister called for Irish to be a working language of the Union. Following this declaration the Foreign Minister of Spain proposed at the end of July that Catalan, Basque and Galician should have official status. Plaid Cymru believes that Welsh too should have equal status in Europe.
Diwedd/Ends.
