Charter for the Promotion of Catalan

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Logo of the Conseil Général of the Pyrénées-Orientales department

The Charter for the Promotion of Catalan ( French : Charte en faveur du catalan ; Catalan : Carta en favor del català ) is a voluntary commitment by the Conseil Général in the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales to protect and further develop the Catalan language in northern Catalonia . It was decided on December 10, 2007.

aims

The Conseil General of the Pyrénées-Orientales department undertook to promote, develop and spread the Catalan language and culture in a sustainable manner. He set himself the following goals:

  • Ensure the survival and transmission of the Catalan language and reverse the decline in speakers.
  • Any resident of the department who wishes to be able to use the Catalan language.
  • To ensure the presence of the Catalan language in the various sectors of public and social life in the department through bilingualism .
  • Contribute to the integration of new citizens by respecting the independence of the Catalan language and culture.

Content of the charter

Location from Northern Catalonia to Catalonia

The preamble to the Charter states that the Catalan language, which emerged over a thousand years ago, is a pillar of the identity, heritage and wealth of the Pyrénées-Orientales department. The region is officially referred to as Catalunya Nord ('Northern Catalonia') for the first time (instead of the historical name Roussillon ).

Sociolinguistic studies have shown that even in the 21st century, residents are interested in the Catalan language and remain faithful to it. Today, as in the years to come, the survival of the Catalan language is a matter of great cultural, economic, political and human importance.

The policy to promote the Catalan language is not directed against the French language and the recognition of Catalan and bilingualism does not call into question the existence or the official character of the French language. This policy is not a threat to national unity, it is based on incentives and encouragement and not on obligation. Nobody is forced to learn Catalan. The Catalan language is the heritage and expression of the entire population, not just individual experts.

The recognition of Catalan and the policy in favor of bilingualism are based on the universal principles of respect for the diversity and equality of languages. Reference is made to the corresponding chapters of

Since the French Parliament and the French Constitutional Council refused to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ​​in 1999, on the basis of the constitutionally anchored principles of French language policy, contrary to an initiative by the government , the Catalan language today has no legal basis that would support its maintenance and further development would be sufficient. The regions, together with the state, are called upon to protect the cultural heritage of the Catalan language and to promote linguistic research and dissemination.

With the Charter, the Conseil Général officially recognizes Catalan alongside French as the language of the Pyrénées-Orientales department. It undertakes to actively contribute to the spread of the Catalan language and culture. The Institut d'Estudis Catalans , based in Barcelona, ​​is recognized as the linguistic authority .

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