After last week's historic first speech in Welsh at the EU Council of Ministers, when Welsh Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones spoke Welsh at a ministerial meeting of the EU's Culture Council in Brussels, Plaid MEP Jill Evans has welcomed a further development this week. Plaid AM for Mid and West Wales Nerys Evans will speak Welsh officially for the first time in Wednesday's Committee of the Regions plenary session.

Jill Evans, who has campaigned for many years for official status for the Welsh language at European Union level (see Timeline below), has congratulated Nerys in anticipation of this 'first':

"I welcome this further development for the Welsh language very much indeed. As a former member of the European Committee of the Regions, I am delighted that Nerys Evans will be able to address the plenary session in her own language.

"I will continue to push the European Parliament to adopt similar new rules for Welsh, now that other European bodies have shown it to be practical."

Nerys Evans will be speaking on inter-cultural dialogue.

Jill Evans MEP added that she would again like to thank the One Wales Government for pursuing this, and also thanked the many organisations and individuals in Wales who have backed the campaign.

Diwedd/Ends.

Timeline for Gaining Co-Official Status for the Welsh Language in Europe

November 2004: Jill becomes first person to legally speak Welsh in European Parliament following rule changes led by her parliamentary group.

March 2005: called for EU Constitution to be translated into Welsh. Jill Evans and Elfyn Llwyd meet UK government to press case for recognition of Welsh language. Announcement marks the first step in winning co-official EU status.

June 2005: Spoke in Welsh in European Parliament during debate with Tony Blair during UK EU Presidency.

June 2005: Decision by Europe's Foreign Ministers on framework for co-official status for Catalan, Galician and Basque. Citizens can correspond with EU institutions in these languages and they can be spoken with interpretation in most of the institutions. Jill called on UK government to follow this example for Welsh.

August 2005: distributed language information packs, asking people to write to Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary, calling for Welsh to be given the same rights as Catalan, Basque and Galician.

September 2005: Jill and Hywel Williams MP hold meetings in Brussels as part of Plaid Cymru's campaign to improve the status of the Welsh language in the EU.

November 2005: UK presidency signs agreement for Catalan, Basque and Galician to be given co-official status, and so can be used in official meetings and correspondence.

June 2006: Welsh Assembly's European Affairs Committee announce they are to consider a proposal for limited use of Welsh in EU institutions.

July 2006: Jill writes to Rhodri Morgan asking him to follow Spain's example and ensure the UK government covers translating costs.

November 2006: Jill makes the case for co-official status to the Assembly's European Affairs Committee, by live video link from Brussels.

January 2007: EU Commissioner for multi-lingualism appointed

June 2007: Commitment to get co-official status for Welsh is in the One Wales coalition agreement, first put forward by Jill.

June 2008: Jill launches appeal asking organisations in Wales to write to President of the European Parliament, stating their support for the right to communicate with the Parliament in Welsh.

July 2008: Welsh made a co-official language in the EU Council.

September 2008: Jill meets with President of the European Parliament to discuss making Welsh co-official in Parliament.

November 2008: Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones to address Council in Welsh for the first time.