EU/ITALY:'NO DISCRIMINATION' AGST ITALIAN LANGUAGE,
BARROSO
Brussels (ANSA) - Brussels, February 24 - A decision to drop
Italian as one of the languages into which European Commissioners'
press conferences are translated was not discriminatory and
would be corrected, European Commission President Jose' Manuel
Durao Barroso said today. Barroso said there was "absolutely
no desire" to discriminate against Italian and Spanish,
which was also dropped. He said Commission staff had told him
there were "logistical difficulties" linked to the
daily press conferences. "We're seeking a pragmatic solution
to the problem," Barroso said. "For my part, I promise
you that starting with the next press conference I'll speak
a part in Italian," Barroso went on, voicing the hope that
he would be understood "as well as (ex-EC chief Romano)
Prodi." "This is meant to be a gesture of respect
and recognition for your beautiful Italian language," Barroso
added. The Italian lanquage question will be formally taken
up by permanent representatives to the European Union on Friday,
an Italian minister said yesterday. Minister for Relations with
Parliament Carlo Giovanardi said the Italian government had
asked for an explanation directly from Barroso and the EU duty
president, Luxembourg. Italian has been dropped from EC press
conferences except on Wednesdays. In a letter to Barroso on
Saturday, Italy's permanent representative in Brussels, Ambassador
Rocco Cangelosi, said the Italian language had been relegated
to "a wholly secondary position." On Sunday Foreign
Minister Gianfranco Fini appeared to play down the problem,
saying that each member state still had the right to its own
translators for ministerial meetings. He also noted that Italian
was not one of the big three EU languages: French, English and
German. But the alleged discrimination against Italian has raised
a storm of media comment in Italy. - A decision to drop Italian
as one of the languages into which European Commissioners' press
conferences are translated will be formally taken up by permanent
representatives to the European Union on Friday, an Italian
minister said today. Minister for Relations with Parliament
Carlo Giovanardi said the Italian government had asked for an
explanation directly from EC President Jose' Manuel Durao Barroso
and the EU duty president, Luxembourg. Italian has been dropped
from EC press conferences except on Wednesdays. In a letter
to Barroso on Saturday, Italy's permanent representative in
Brussels, Ambassador Rocco Cangelosi, said the Italian language
had been relegated to "a wholly secondary position."
On Sunday Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini appeared to play
down the problem, saying that each member state still had the
right to its own translators for ministerial meetings. He also
noted that Italian was not one of the big three EU languages:
French, English and German.
