Unity in diversity. The European Union's multilingualism

• Author: Laura-Cristiana Sp?taru-Negur?
• Position: Assistant Lecturer, PhD., Law Faculty, 'Nicolae Titulescu' University of Bucharest, Romania, (e-mail: negura_laura@yahoo.com).
• Pages: 139-148

LESIJ NO. XXIII, VOL. 2/2016

UNITY IN DIVERSITY. THE EUROPEAN UNION’S

MULTILINGUALISM

Laura-Cristiana SPTARU-NEGUR

Abstract

It is undeniable that the European Union represents the most a mbitious legal and linguistic

project, integra ting 28 Member States and 24 official languages.

What we undertook with this study was to explore the importance of multilingualism in the

European Union a nd the problems that unity in diversity involves. This study tried to touch upon both

theoretical aspects (i.e., what the multilingualism of EU law implies) a nd practica l issues (i.e., the

interaction between lega l langua ges at national and at EU level, pr oblems emerging from

multilingualism, illustrated by the relevant case la w of the European Court of Justice).

In many ECJ cases, it was underlined that multilingualism is essential to the EU legal order. The

meaning of EU law cannot be derived from one version of the official languages and the ECJ r egularly

heads for a uniform interpr etation of the contradictory versions.

The present study is part of a more complex research on this theme and it is meant to app roach

certain importa nt points of my PhD thesis. A first part of this resea rch on multilingualism has alrea dy

been published.

Keywords: European Union, diversity, unity, multilingualism, languages.

1. Introduction

1.1. About law and language

Language is the core of national or

minority group identity.

The linguistic diversity is a specific

value of the EU which should be protected.

Contrary to the provisions of Treaty

establishing the European Coal and Steel

Community (authentic in French only) the

European Union (and the European

Community first) has always been based on

the principle that at least one official

 Assistant Lecturer, PhD.,ă Lawă Faculty,ă “Nicolaeă Titulescu”ă Universityă ofă Bucharest,ă Romania,ă (e-mail:

negura_laura@yahoo.com).

1

There are multilingual legislative systems in the EU: Belgium (French, Dutch and German) and Malta (Maltese

and English). Other multilingual legislative systems in the world: Canada and Switzerland.

2

In 1973, English, Irish and Danish, in 1981 Greek, in 1986 Spanish and Portuguese, in 1995 Finnish and

Swedish, in 2004 Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Maltese, Polish, Slovenian and Slovak, in 2007

Romanian and Bulgarian, in 2013 Croatian became official languages in the EU.

language of each Me mber State

1

should

become an official language of the Union.

As for the provision of Article 314 of

the Treaty establishing the European

Community, the treaty was drawn up in a

single original in four texts equally authentic

(i.e., Dutch, French, German and Italian

languages). This Article has been amended

by the Accession Treaties upon each entry

into the Community/U nion of new Member

States.

2

As from the 1st of July 2013, the

European Union has 28 Member States, the

last Member State entering the Europea n

family being Croatia. Almost every Member