Languages in specific areas

The European Commission has joined forces with Member State governments, the European Parliament, the European regions and social partners in order to:

Give citizens the chance of learning two languages in addition to their mother tongue from an early age.
Create friendlier societies, where different communities and individuals engage in dialogue with one another.
Strengthen the role of languages in improving employability and competitiveness.

These objectives are the backbone of ‘multilingualism policy’. This section presents the activities the Commission has undertaken in these fields.

To achieve its medium to long-term objectives the Commission promotes multilingualism throughout the whole range of its policies and programmes, providing an impulse for Member States, local authorities and social partners to take action at their level.

In 2012 the Commission will review the progress that has been made.