Network of Schools
Research on regional educational backwardness
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 July

Low viewing figures pose threat to TV Breizh
There is concern that the the private satellite television channel for Brittany, TV Breizh, may be taken under the direct control of the private French channel TF1, which is one of its major shareholders, and thereby lose its regional identity. The channel, established in 2000 and with an annual budget of 12 million euros has not achieved the target set by the director general of TF1 in the spring, namely a doubling of the number of viewers between the beginning of the year and the summer. The six-monthly survey carried out by Mediametrie and published on the 8 July gives the channel an 0.4% share of the audience, exactly the same result as six months previously.

Some question whether or not a regional satellite channel is viable, if measured at national level. There had been hopes that the channel might obtain a terrestrial frequency available in Nantes and do likewise with other local frequncies in Roazhon (Rennes), Brest, Kemper (Quimper) etc. However, the Nantes frequency was allocated during July to a competing bid.

TV Breizh broadcasts two or three hours of Breton per day, predominantly children’s programmes. This represented an important increase on the number of hours of Breton broadcast by the state regional channel F3, which, moreover, broadcasts very little in Breton for children in particular. However, the channel has attracted controversy from the start and has disappointed some who had hoped for a more substantial amount of programming in Breton

Internet Television Channel Plans to Launch Breton Broadcast
Téléouest, a regional television channel based in Nantes, Brittany, and broadcasting weekly, by means of the internet and satellite, is seeking partners and a presenter for the launch of a Breton language broadcast. The broadcast would be divided into two parts, one dedicated to a review of the regional press and the other to reports on Breton culture. The aim is to launch the programme in January and it will be open to advertising, which, it is hoped, will bring in revenue. Those interested should contact Mikael Buffard at mikael@teleouest.net. Téléouest was has been broadcasting since 28 November 2002. and hopes to increse the frequency of some of its programmes after one year. More information about the channel can be found at http://www.teleouest.net.

Slovene government remains concerned about Radio dva and Radio Agora
The Slovene government appears increasingly concerned about the fate of two Slovene-language radio stations in Carinthia, Austria, namely Radio dva and Radio Agora. According to the Slovene press agency STA, the Slovene foreign ministry issued a statement during July noting that Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel had repeatedly warned his Austrian counterpart Benita Ferrero-Waldner that termination of Austrian financial support of the radios would constitute a "serious threat” to the Slovene minority in Carinthia. The ministry also noted that Prime Minister Anton Rop had raised the question on a number of occasions with Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel.
The Slovene statement concluded by noting that the Slovene government would carefully monitor Austria’s reports to the European Council on implementation of the convention on minorities and continue to defend the Slovene minority’s rights.
Source: http://www.hrvatskicentar.at/

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Regional Government website in Friulan, Slovene and German
The Autonomous Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in North-eastern Italy, is renewing its institutional website. It will be restyled and will not only be in Italian but also in the other languages traditionally spoken in the region: Friulan, Slovene and German.
The new version will be on line at the end of September. The homepage will offer all of its contents in the four languages of the region.

‘Editors and technicians are working on it’s content and layout. They are cooperating with the Regional Service for linguistic and cultural identities in order to give to every linguistic community the services they need, according to national legislation (Laws 482/1999 and 38/2001)’, explains Guido Baggi, editor in chief of the Regional Information Agency (ARC).

The decision to open new multilingual web pages is a new and positive signal coming from the Regional administration, after the inaugural session of new Regional Parliament, where thirteen deputies swore in their mother tongues ‘to be faithful to the Republic’ and to practise their office ‘only for the common good of the State and the Region’.
The new President, Riccardo Illy, explaining his government’s tasks and goals, said that ‘the Region has to promote different identities, their story, language and culture’ and ’the implementation of minority legislation makes it a key step to building a European Union based on citizenship and democracy’.

The promotion of multilingualism and protection of linguistic rights in Friuli-Venezia Giulia has been an important topic in the regional political debate since the beginning of this year. There was the celebration of the 40th anniversary of regional autonomy, and during the regional elections, when Friulan, Slovene and German-speaker group had a campaign to put multilingualism and linguistic rights on the political agenda. (EL)
Source: www.eurolang.net

 Bulletin 54 - Mercator Legislation

• Constitutional Law on the Rights of National Minorities, December, 13, 2003 Croatia
• Act 3/2003 of March 26th, on the legal system of the administration of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands Balearic Islands
• Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, of January 15, 2003 on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Germany Germany

Given the significance of the year 2004 for the future of the European Union and, more specifically, the new linguistic policy deriving from the adoption of the new Constitutional Treaty, the II Mercator International Symposium will aim at a critical assessment of the role assigned to minority or regional languages within the new European order. The event will also focus on the way in which “respect for linguistic diversity” (Art. 3.3 and Art. 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights) will be reflected in the European Union’s new policies and actions.

The Symposium will also seek to focus on how the voice of minority language communities will be heard within the future European Union, as well as on the possible role of the Committee of the Regions, despite the fact that the draft text submitted by the European Convention 2004 has yet to define the role of the “regions”, particularly those which have their own language and their own legislative powers.

Another essential element to be taken into account when thinking about the future of these languages is the Council of Europe and its European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML). There is a need to appraise the effect of this international instrument –the only binding and most explicit document concerning these languages– on Community policies dealing with non-official languages of the EU and with languages which are not explicitly recognised or do not receive adequate institutional support from the state.

The Symposium will include four thematic areas:

• Conclusions and possible consequences of the work carried out by the European Convention 2004: the principles of language policy in the new Constitutional Treaty, the asset of “linguistic diversity”, the representation of the communities of speakers of non-official languages within the EU. What role has been played by languages that do not enjoy the status of a state language?
• The ECRML as a possible development of Article 22 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, given that most of the member states have ratified it (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom).
• The principles of the ECRML and present and future community programmes and actions in the spheres of education, language learning, the media and the cultural industries.
• Language minorities and the requirements for EU-accession: why a double standard? The consequences and the institutional changes introduced by the Union’s enlargement.

• O Proceso de normalización do idioma galego (1980-2000) . Vol. I : Política lingüística: Análise e perspectivas / Cidadania-Rede de Aplicacións Sociais ; coordinadores Henrique Monteagudo e Xan M. Bouzada Fernández. - Santiago de Compostela : Consello da Cultura Galega, Sección de Lingua, 2002. - 289 p. ; 22 cm. (Colleción Base). - isbn 8495415658 - signatuur: 100Gal39
• O Proceso de normalización do idioma galego (1980-2000). Vol. II: Educación / Xan M. Bouzada Fernández, Agustin Fernández Paz, Anxo M. Lorenzo Suárez; coordinadores Henrique Monteagudo e Xan Bouzada. - Santiago de Compostela : Consello da Cultura Galega, Sección de Lingua, 2002. - 387 p. ; 22 cm. (Colleción Base). - isbn 8495415674 - signatuur: 100Gal39
  Modelli Europei di pianificazione linguistica / Gabriele Iannàccaro i Vittorio Dell’Aquila. In : Mondo Ladino. Vol. XXVI (2002) . - Vich [ Vigo di Fassa] : Istitut Cultural Ladin, 2001. - 174 p. - ISSN 1121-1121 - signatuur: 100MLad8
• Taalpraktyk en taalbelied by gemeenten / eindred. G.I. Jellema en A.M.J. Riemersma. - Ljouwert : Berie foar it Frysk, 2003. - 83 p.
  Taal fan houlikstaspraken yn Fryslân tusken 1997 en 2001 / Egbert de Vries
  Steat fan taalplenning by gemeenten / Durk M.B.Krol signatuur: 100Fri274
• Fokus op de leefbaarheid van het Friese platteland / eindred. E. Boneschansker en J. Stuiver. - [Leeuwarden] : FOKUS, 2003. - 116 p. - signatuur: 100Fri285
• Ik heb twee schoen : Onderzoek naar de invloed van het spreken van dialect op de taalvaardigheid Nederlands van basisschoolleerlingen / Marjolein van den Nieuwenhof. -Nijmegen : Katholieke Universiteit , 2002. - 83 p. - signatuur : 100Ge194
• Europese Almanak : 2003 / Europese Commissie Vertegenwoordiging in Nederland. - Den Haag : SDu Uitgevers, 2003. - 486 p. - isbn 9012095506 signatuur : 100RE1