He Catalánhe inhale and the gallego They will have to wait for a new opportunity to try to receive the Recognition as official languages in the European Union. This Friday, the twenty -seven that has had Germany as main stumbling.
It has not been the only one, since A dozen countries It has manifested clearly against of the attempt of Spain, as part of the agreements with Junts. Half of the EU has expressed its legal doubts Around a reform whose rejection of Spain, claiming that some members are applying a “dilatory tactic.”
According to Europa Press, the debate has headed it, by Spain, the EU Secretary of State, Fernando Sampedro. Upon arrival he requested “not kidnap or delay unnecessarily” allow a quick decision in favor of the official, notwithstanding that later those Partners with greater doubts could resort to the EU Court of Justice (Tjue) to obtain a clearer opinion.
According to internal sources growing by Europa Press, the debate was tense and “assertive” and extended during almost an hourwithout luck for the interests of the Spanish government. The most tense arrived in the exchanges of the Spanish representative with the Minister for German European Affairs, Gunther Krichbaumwho clung to the oral opinion of the legal service of the Council.
This positioning establishes that a reform of the treaties would be necessary to ensure the legal basis of an eventual official of Catalan, Basque and Galician, something that Spain denies. “It is clear that No treaty review is needed“The Secretary of State has recognized, to which a large group of states have requested a Legal report in writing To clarify this matter and make clear the legal basis of an eventual reform, to make the EU position clear If the matter arrived before the Tjue
Germanythat in the debate that the ministers maintained last May was the hardest country in front of the Spanish request and warned that he would vote against whether the vote was forced, “A millimeter has not moved“Of their position, they point out from another delegation.
Berlin has not been precisely only at the negotiating table, although publicly their supports have preferred to stay in the background. Negotiation sources recognize that there are several countries that “in camera“They have shown the same doubts that Germany, among them France or Italyheavyweights in Brussels.
The rejection of Catalan, Basque and Galician has also reached north and east of the EU. Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria and Croatia There have been other delegations that have lifted his voice internally to declare problems due to the lack of clarity with respect to the legal scope of a modification of the Language Regulations that include the three regional ones.
On the contrary Space It has also been seen Backedalthough to a lesser number. Countries like Belgium, Slovakia, Slovenia and Chipre They have shown their support for the approach to the three co -official languages in our country, adds Europa Press.
Between media, another group, with Polonia, Austria the Luxembourgwho in the previous one had recognized their willingness to dialogue with Spain, but making it clear that Today is soon y There are other priority issues on the European agenda before languages.
“The legal services of the Council take it seriously and this opinion of the legal services remains unchanged. That means that as long as there is no proposal on the table in which legal concerns, as well as financial concerns, are resolved, there can be no consent,” the Austrian minister for Europe, Claudia Plakolm, has settled before the press.
“It is a very sensitive and symbolic issue and that is the reason why the Danish presidency will deal with this issue in a continuous dialogue with the member states, with great caution,” said, for its part, the Danish minister of European Affairs and presidency on duty of the EU Council, Marie Bjerre, at the end of the day.
The European Commission presented at the end of 2023 an “preliminary” evaluation based on the experience of the Gaelic that pointed out that the recognition of Catalan, Basque and Galician would have a cost of 132 million annually (44 million per language), but said that he would address a specific evaluation and in detail if he asked for Spain or the Council.
In May, the government presented a Regulation reform proposal of more complete languages that included in its part of “considering” the commitment to assume all its cost and raised a partial implementation from 2027, so that from that date the regulations of the Council and Parliament would only translate from that date, which in the last legislature meant less than 3% of all legal acts.
This partial application would derive from an immediate “repeal” by which the EU institutions will not be obliged to write all their legislative acts or publish them in the EU Official Gazette in the three languages, as stated in the proposal circulated to the capitals and the one that Europa Press had access. This repeal would be reviewed no later than four years and could be reversed but, again, by unanimity of the 27.
