Plaid Cymru politicians Hywel Williams MP and Jill Evans MEP have held meetings in Brussels as part of the party's campaign to improve the status of the Welsh language, including a new Welsh Language Act at Westminster.

They met Irish MEP Sean O Neachtain at the European Parliament in Brussels to compare the situation of Welsh with that of Irish - Mr O Neachtain is an Irish speaker. They also met Catalan MEP and Catalan speaker Bernat Joan.

Plaid wants a new Welsh Language Act to give the Welsh Language equal status with English in Wales and the legal power for enforcing such a provision given to the National Assembly for Wales.

In Europe, Plaid wants Welsh given official EU language status, which was recently afforded to the Irish language. From January 1st 2007, Irish speaking MEPs will be able to use the language on the floor of the European Parliament with simultaneous translation provided.

Speaking from Brussels Jill Evans MEP said:

"We see how the Welsh language is at a disadvantage in Wales and at EU level compared to other languages. More than thirty five years after the first Welsh language act, Welsh speakers are still at a comparative disadvantage in Wales and this needs to be put right.

We want a new Welsh Language Act at Westminster that will give Welsh equal status with English and the National Assembly given real power to enforce such a law. Here at EU level, we want to see Welsh speakers given the right to correspond with the EU institutions in Welsh and expect a reply in their own language.

And now that the Irish, Catalan, Galician and Basque languages will be soon be heard on the floor of the European Parliament, we want the UK Government to take the necessary measures to ensure Welsh has the same status."

Hywel Williams MP (Caernarfon) added:

"Welsh requires to be given equal status to English in Wales and Welsh speakers should have enforceable rights to public services provided through the medium of Welsh.

Welsh is a growing language and attitudes towards it have changed remarkably over the last forty years.

The status quo is not sustainable."

Diwedd/Ends.