Languages

Brussels protest on Latvian school reforms

EFA MEP Miroslavs Mitrofanovs opposes Latvian education reforms

Opponents to controversial school reforms in Latvia brought their protests to Brussels this week, supported by Greens/EFA MEP Miroslavs Mitrofanovs, and former MEP Tatjana Ždanoka. They oppose plans by the Latvian government to phase out most Russian language teaching in the country's school...

EP backs Minimum standards for minorities in the EU

Press release from EFA MEP Miroslavs Mitrofanovs

MEPs have strongly supported a report calling for minimum standards for minorities in the EU (rapporteur József NAGY). The report represents a complete overview of the European Parliament’s position on the rights of national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in the EU. ...

MEPs concerns at harsh sentences sought for Catalan leaders

Press release from the EFA Group in the European Parliament

MEPs from various political groups in the European Parliament, including the European Free Alliance, have signed a joint statement expressing their concern at the harsh sentences for Catalan political prisoners demanded by the Spanish prosecutor this week. Several Catalan pro-independence leaders...

Our fights, our values

What the Greens/EFA stand for

For 35 years, we have been making a difference and fighting to make Europe the global leader in terms of climate and environmental protection, peace and social justice, fair globalisation, and in the fight for human rights.

Language Equality in the Digital Age

27.09.2018

Conference on language technologies and digital equality in a multilingual Europe

Whilst many minority or smaller languages are thriving as community languages, it is often a different story online, where English often dominates. This is not only a problem for minority languages. Many EU languages are majority languages in the real world but have become minority languages in the digital world.

Language Equality in the Digital Age

Plenary speech from EFA MEP Jill Evans (Wales)

Jill Evans presents her report on language equality in the digital age at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, which makes proposals to help bridge the digital language divide.

Victory for language equality in the European Parliament

Press release from EFA MEP Jill Evans (Wales)

The European Parliament has overwhelmingly endorsed a report by Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans which calls for action at the EU level to bridge the digital language divide. The report looks at the use of languages in digital technology and makes a number of recommendations for action by the European ...

Hands off minority schools!

EFA MEP Miroslavs Mitrofanovs on minority education

'Hands off Russian minority schools in Latvia!' This was the slogan of a demonstration held outside the European Parliament building in Strasbourg on Wednesday 4 July, to highlight the threat to the system of minority education in Latvia. Demonstrators included schoolchildren and socia...

HDP and democracy in Turkey

Statement from EFA MEP Jordi Solé (Catalonia)

EFA MEP Jordi Solé, a member of the European Parliament's Turkey delegation, has praised the performance of the pro-minority HDP party in Turkey's recent presidential and parliamentary elections. The party was able to increase its parliamentary representation, and field a candidate...

Open Arms – 'Saving Life is not a Crime' – MEP Ana Miranda

Press release from EFA MEP Ana Miranda (Galicia)

Greens/EFA MEP Ana Miranda, who is on board the ship Astral operated by NGO Open Arms, has called for action at EU level to prevent the criminalisation of NGOs engaged in search and rescue work in the Mediterranean. The ship which assisted in the rescue of 59 people from the Mediterranean sea ove...

Bridging the digital language divide

Press release from EFA MEP Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru)

Greens/EFA MEP Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru) hopes her new report 'Language Equality in the Digital Age' will make an important contribution to bridging the digital language divide. This could lead to Siri speaking Welsh, or Alexa speaking Lithuanian, whilst making it easier for sign language ...

No double standards on EU's human rights commitment

Press release from EFA MEP Jordi Solé (Catalonia)

Catalan MEP Jordi Solé has called upon the EU to avoid double standards in its commitment to human rights and democracy around the world. The EFA MEP spoke in the European Parliament's debate today about the EU's annual report on human rights and democracy in the world, in the pres...