Model Conference
of the Faculty of International Relations
Cultural Section
Final Agreement
26.03.2015
Model Conference of the Faculty of International Relations
Cultural Section: Final Agreement
Bratislava, 26.3.2015
Model Conference of the Faculty of International Relations
on the Language Policy of the European Union
PREFACE
Regarding the current economic, politic, cultural and development issues of the European Union and its
broader milieu, as well as understanding the necessity of finding proper long-term solutions for these
issues, we have decided to establish the Model Conference of the Faculty of International Relations as
an intergovernmental platform for negotiating and creating consensus among participating states, which
are subject to these international challenges and problems. Respecting the main objective of the
established platform, the Cultural Section, as a specialized body of the Model Conference, has created
a room for multilateral negotiations on the current state and the future advancement of the language
policy of the European Union and invited the delegates of
the Czech Republic
the Federal Republic of Germany
the French Republic
Hungary
the Kingdom of Belgium
the Republic of Poland
the Slovak Republic
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
as the representatives of all major interest groups of the European Union with different historical,
economic, political and other relations in the given context, to take part in the multilateral negotiations
and to contribute to the solving of the respective development issues.
Unified in the matter of language policy of the EU are hereby affirming their commitment to follow the
agreed-upon positions of the agreement to the best of their capacities:
recognizing the importance of developing cultural aspect of the EU;
supporting the cooperation within further development and creation of the common language policy of
the EU;
emphasizing the need for further cultural cooperation for more effective system functioning;
expressing concern that the reduction of financial expenses represents the progressing
effectiveness;
acknowledging the need for creating the future systematic projection of the common
language policy for all the member states of the EU;
welcoming the keen interest and active collaboration of the participating EU member states;
supporting the principles of mutual tolerance and long-term cooperation;
regarding all aspects and outcomes of the previous sessions of the Cultural Section.
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Model Conference of the Faculty of International Relations
Cultural Section: Final Agreement
CHAPTER I
PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES OF THIS AGREEMENT
Article 1
Purpose and Principle of Agreement
1. The Agreement of the Cultural Section within Model Conference of the Faculty of International
Relations on the Language Policy of the EU (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) represents a
consensual agreement and expression of the signatory parties’ opinions and proposals concerning the
revision of the current system of the language policy in the European Union (hereinafter referred to as
the “EU”).
2. The main purpose of the Agreement consists in the determination of general guidelines for the
unification of the language policy on the EU level, which shall be executed with the intention of creating
a transparent, efficient and progressive mechanism.
3. The Agreement serves as the basis for further discussions and negotiations concerning the common
language policy, which are expected to be held within the official EU level with the presence of all the
EU member states. The final agreement shall be presented within the respective EU platforms, with the
aim of stimulating further debates and introducing a specific framework of solutions concerning the
subject matter.
4. The Vision has a purely recommendatory character and therefore imposes no legally binding
obligations on any of the signatory parties or third states, regarding any of the aspects of the
determination, execution or evaluation of the EU’s language policy.
CHAPTER II
Article 1
Trilingualism in Reasonable Period
1. The signatory countries recognize and unanimously confirm the importance of the necessity of the
multilingualism within the European Union (hereinafter the “EU”), however, they consider the importance
of the effective communication on the institutional level as the essential.
2. Proclaiming the settlement of trilingualism which includes English, German and French languages as
the working languages on the institutional level under following conditions:
- Trilingualism shall be implemented in the reasonable period, when future development within
the language policy of the EU is intended.
3. With regard to the proposed change to the trilingualism on the institutional level, the current
multilingualism shall remain on the national level as the cultural heritage of the main principle and
citizen´s rights within EU stated in the objectives of the union (...the Union respects cultural and
linguistic diversity and ensures that Europe's cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced.)
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Model Conference of the Faculty of International Relations
Cultural Section: Final Agreement
4. Respecting the important change in the establishment of trilingualism, the signatory parties agreed on
the transition period when trilingualism shall be the principle of communication within the EU institutions.
Implementation of trilingualism shall end with the beginning of the new programming period 2020-2021.
Article 2
Settlement of Departments
1. Recalling the fundamental rights of the EU: “The inclusion of the Charter in the Constitutional Treaty
will make it more visible to all citizens, who will be better informed of their rights. The Charter also
contains additional rights not contained in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms, such as workers' social rights, data protection, bioethics or the right to
good administration.“
2. Understanding the right to good administration, the signatory countries agree on the creation of a
language policy contact point in the EU distinguishing between the two institutional systems of
translations and interpreting of documents adopted within the institutions of the EU, referred to as:
(1) the Language Centre for the EU institutions in Brussels,
(2) translation departments within the existing Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic;
Federal Foreign Office in the Federal Republic of Germany; The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the French
Republic; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Hungary; Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and
Development Cooperation in Kingdom of Belgium; Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Republic of Poland;
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic; and Foreign and Commonwealth Office
in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the member states.
3. Reflecting the institutional needs by the founding Language Centre for the EU institutions in Brussels
serving to all the institutions as an advisory and consulting centre. The main objective of the Language
Centre is to provide translation and interpreting consulting services for the official representatives of the
member countries.
4. Creation of the department within the MFA of every member country which shall be in charge of
translations of the officially adopted, signed and generally binding documents of the EU immediately
after their adoption specifying in the Chapter II Article III.
Article 3
Translation of Documents
1. Regarding the obligatorily translated documents, signatory countries recognize as follows:
- legally binding documents of the EU with the exception of suggestions and recommendations of
the EU for all the member states;
- all documents already adopted, signed and agreed within the EU in their final version.
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Model Conference of the Faculty of International Relations
Cultural Section: Final Agreement
Voluntarily translated documents will be translated upon the request of the natural and legal entity
existing in the area of the EU.
2. Signatory parties recognize that the allocation of translations of the documents adopted in the EU
shall not breach the fundamental rights of the EU citizens. The right for the information shall be
remained in the highest effective way.
CHAPTER III
Article 1
Financial Framework
1. With regard to the proposed changes in the Chapter I., the signatory parties agreed on the financial
framework recognizing the current financial situation in the EU. With the aim of the reduction of the
costs within the Expenditure Category 5 – Administration, the signatory parties agreed on the division of
the current budget for the administration into two parts:
(1) Fixed part – expenditures required within trilingualism – translation and interpreting costs in EU
institutions;
(2) Variable part – expenditures on the national level connected with translations costs which are
required by the translations to the official languages of the EU.
2. Being desirous of contributing to the development of functional structure of the financial framework,
the working group shall be established with the aim of examining variable part of the budget. The
working group shall consist of financial and economy experts with the knowledge of the language policy
of the EU.
3. Final outcome of the working group shall be presented to the European Commission and the
European Parliament concerning the use of financial sources of the budget and the creation of the
prognosis for future periods. Particular data and recommendations shall be published in the official
report by 2020.
CHAPTER IV
Esperanto
1. Signatory parties, aware of the cultural diversity and the uniqueness of their culture and language
status, tend to react more protectively regarding the question of implementing trilingualism – English,
German and French languages as the leading languages within such a diverse EU. The delegations
recognized the Esperanto as the universal, functional and impartial language with propaedeutic
signification.
2. Taking into consideration the advices of the Esperantists Union concerning the contribution of
Esperanto mainly in the creating of the common language for the whole EU on a non-discriminatory
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Model Conference of the Faculty of International Relations
Cultural Section: Final Agreement
level, methods of learning Esperanto and its motivational character for learning other languages, the
signatory parties agreed on the system of future assimilation of Esperanto into the EU language policy.
2. Understanding the complexity of implementation of Esperanto within the scheme 1+1+1 in which
national, Esperanto and one other language are represented, the signatory parties agreed on the
following:
a) supporting the cooperation of the representatives of the EU and the World Esperanto
Association within the actual procedure of assimilating the Esperanto;
b) awaiting fruitful and constructive ideas and solutions resulting from the World Congress of
Esperanto taking place in 2016.
3. The negotiations leading to this Agreement have created a strong connection within the V4 countries
strongly supporting the role of Esperanto as a possible solution to the complexity of the translations and
interpreting within the EU. A common language for the EU shall avoid the preferential status of some
languages. The V4 countries express their will to continue in the negotiations on the separate meetings
to bring constructive ideas and solutions for future periods in the language policy of the EU.
CHAPTER VII
Concluding Provisions
1. By singing the Agreement of the language policy of the European Union, the signatory parties commit
themselves to support and promote the implementation of the proposed changes within the existing
institutional and financial framework of the EU language policy.
2. By signing the Agreement of the language policy of the European Union, the signatory parties declare
that their intentions to revise the existing institutional and financial framework of the EU language policy
are based on a good faith and a fully independent decision to support the positive development of the
cooperation within the respective platforms.
3. This agreement does not represent a detailed, exhaustive framework of responsibilities and
competencies of the language policy system and shall be regarded as a general guideline for the
purposes stated in the Chapter I.
4. The signatory parties commit themselves to take all necessary steps to successfully initiate further
foreseen multilateral negotiations over the subject matter of this agreement.
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Model Conference of the Faculty of International Relations
Cultural Section: Final Agreement
The delegations of:
Czech Republic
Federal Republic of Germany
French Republic
Hungary
Kingdom of Belgium
Republic of Poland
Slovak Republic
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Bratislava, 26.03.2015
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