An Historic Day

I’ve had a lot of messages expressing pleasure and thanks following the granting of EU co-official status to the Welsh language earlier this week. In the official announcement First Minister Rhodri Morgan referred to “an historic development for the Welsh language (which) shows recognition in the EU for cultural and linguistic diversity.”

Not surprisingly, the sharp contrast between that statement and the comments made recently by Labour MEP Eluned Morgan on this subject has not gone unnoticed. I wonder if she will realise now that things are moving on - ‘an historic development’ in fact!

The agreement was formalised on Tuesday in Brussels when the UK Government reached agreement with the EU Council of Ministers. I worked with the One Wales Government for the move, and negotiations were then taken forward by the member state government.

At the moment the agreement applies only to the Council but is expected to be extended to other EU institutions so that people and organisations in Wales will be able to correspond and communicate with the EU institutions in either of our two official languages.

While some people misinterpret the agreement for their own reasons, I’m just pleased that this stage has been reached, and I’ve no doubt this view is shared by many, many people and organisations throughout Wales, judging by the correspondence I’ve had on the subject.

People in Wales have the right to choose Welsh to deal with the EU institutions if they so wish.

Welsh gains co-official status in the European Union

Read about it here.

Yet more Labour party hypocrisy

I was disappointed but not surprised by Labour’s hypocrisy following the attack by Labour MEP Eluned Morgan on plans to boost the status of the Welsh language in Europe.

The Welsh public would surely find it hard to understand how Ms Morgan could square her role as chair of Cymdeithas Cledwyn, set up to counter Labour’s unpopularity in certain Welsh speaking parts of Wales, with opposing co-official status for Welsh in the EU.

I’ve been campaigning to improve the status of Welsh in the EU and have won the support of the Welsh Assembly and UK Governments. Preparations are underway that will allow Welsh speakers and organisations in Wales to use Welsh in correspondence with the EU institutions. There will also be limited arrangements for Welsh interpretation at EU official meetings.

I have been fighting hard to get official status for the Welsh language in Europe and I was disappointed that a Welsh speaking Labour MEP opposed Welsh getting the same rights as other languages such as Basque or Catalan. Her opposition is all the more surprising since we have the backing of the One Wales and UK Governments.

So much of our daily lives is influenced by the European Union and I think it’s vital that people in Wales should be able to communicate with the EU institutions in Welsh as well as English.

This new status would also lead to more jobs in the translating sector, particularly in rural Wales, as so much translation work can now be done remotely through the internet and e-mail.

It’s all very well for Labour to publish a report with a vague list of pledges, but what we need is action. If Ms Morgan really is interested in helping the Welsh language then I hope she will support co-official status for Welsh in the European Union. After all, it is only right that people in Wales have opportunities to use the Welsh language when communicating with the European institutions.

Some in the Labour party might like to claim they’re supporters of the Welsh language, but when it comes to real commitment and action, it’s another story.

Cymraeg yn Ewrop!

‘Rwyf wedi bod yn ymgyrchu i gael hawliau i’r Gymraeg yn Ewrop ers bron i ddeng mlynedd bellach. O’r diwedd, mae pethau yn edrych yn obeithiol. Rwy’n falch iawn bod llywodraeth ‘Cymru’n Un’ wedi ymrwymo i’r ymgyrch. Mae gan bobl yng Ngwlad y Basg, Catalunya a Galisia yr hawl i gyfathrebu a sefydliadau Ewropeaidd yn eu mamiaith. Pam felly nad oes gennym ni fel Cymry yr un hawl? Mae llywodraeth Cymru yn cynnal trafodaethau ar hyn o bryd gyda’r sefydliadau Ewropeaidd i gael cytundeb a fuasai’n caniatau hyn. Nid mater o egwyddor yn unig ydyw, ond byddai’n creu swyddi ac yn hyrwyddo’r economi gan y byddai’r diwydiant cyfieithu yn cael ei leoli yng Ngymru.

Er nad yw rhoi statws ‘cyd-swyddogol’ i’r iaith Gymraeg yn y sefydliadau Ewropeaidd yn rhoi cydraddoldeb i ni gyda ieithoedd eraill, mae yn rhoi peth darpariaeth i siaradwyr Cymraeg - yn bennaf yr hawl i gyfathrebu gyda’r sefydliadau yn Gymraeg. Fel ASE, wrth gwrs, fe hoffwn i hefyd yr hawl i ddefnyddio’r iaith Gymraeg o fewn y Senedd, fel y bydd sefydliadau eraill yn caniatau.

Rydw i wedi ysgrifennau at sefydliadau, mudiadau, ysgolion a cholegau i ofyn iddynt ysgrifennu at Lywydd Senedd Ewrop, Hans Gert Poettering, i ddatgan eu cefnogaeth i gael statws cyd-swyddogol i’r Gymraeg, gan ddweud y buasent yn cyfathrebu â’r Senedd yn y Gymraeg pe bai hynny’n bosib. Buasai hyn o fudd mawr i’r ymgyrch ac i broffil Cymru yn Ewrop. Os hoffech ymuno â’r ymgyrch, ewch at fy wefan www.jillevans.net, byddaf yn cynhoeddi mwy o wybodaeth ar sut y gallwch chi helpu cyn hir.

Welsh in Europe!

I’ve been campaigning to obtain rights for the Welsh language in Europe for almost ten years. At last, things are looking up. I’m very pleased that the ‘One Wales’ government has committed to this too. People in the Basque Country, Catalunya and Galicia already have the right to communicate with the European institutions in their mother tongue. Why then don’t we as Welsh people have the same right? The Welsh Assembly Government is currently holding talks with the European institutions to ensure an agreement that would allow this. This isn’t just a matter of principle, it would also create jobs and boost the Welsh economy as the translation industry would be based in Wales.

Despite the fact that “co-official” status wouldn’t put Welsh on a par with other European languages, it would act as a facility through which Welsh speakers could communicate with the institutions in Welsh. As an MEP, I would of course like to have the ability to use the Welsh language in Parliament, as other institutions would allow.

I have written to organisations, institutions, schools and colleges to ask them to write to the President of the European Parliament, Hans Gert Poettering, to state their support for “co-official” status for the Welsh language, saying that they would take advantage of the provision if it were adopted in Parliament. This would be a great help not only to the campaign, but also to Wales’ profile within Europe. If you would like to take part in the campaign, please go to www.jillevans.net, where I’ll be publishing how you can take part soon.

Wythnos Werdd y Comisiwn

Yr wythnos hyn, mae Ewrop yn dathlu Wythnos Werdd y Comisiwn am yr wythfed tro. Gyda 4000 o gyfranwyr, 158 o siaradwyr a 49 digwyddiad, mae’r wythnos yn mynd o nerth i nerth. Cychwynodd y syniad fel arbrawf cyfathrebu i drafod syniadau amgylcheddol yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, ond erbyn hyn mae’r wythnos yn hanfodol i system bolisïau’r Undeb.

Slogan yr Wythnos Werdd eleni yw “Un Blaned - Peidiwch a’i Gwastrafffu”. Yn ogystal a’r holl broblemau sy’n gysylltiedig â newid hinsawdd, rydym yn gwynebu sialens yr un mor ofidus gyda gwastraff. Rydym yn cynhyrchu gwastraff yn llawer mwy cyflym nag yr ydym yn ei ailgylchu neu ail-ddefnyddio; ond nid yw’r rhan helaeth o’r boblogaeth yn sylwi ar ddifrifoldeb y sefyllfa. ‘Gan i mi fod yn ymgyrchu am dargedau uchelgeisiol mewn lefelau ailgylchu yn ddiweddar, ‘rwyf yn hynod o falch bod Wythnos Werdd 2008 wedi dewis canolbwyntio ar reolaeth gwastraff a threuliad cynaladwy.

Yn ogystal â thynnu sylw at wastraff, bydd yr Wythnos Werdd yn trafod materion fel bioamrywiaeth, cynhesu byd-eang, a’r sialens holl-bwysig o gynnal tyfiant economaidd tra’n anog y meddylfryd gwyrdd.

Y Toriaid a’r Iaith Gymraeg

Diddorol iawn oedd gweld ymateb llefarydd y Toriaid ddoe i’r ffaith bod cwmni teithio Thomas Cook wedi gwahardd ei weithwyr rhag siarad Cymraeg yn y gwaith. Dywedodd Paul Davies AC, y dylid cefnogi a hybu busnesau i ddefnyddio’r iaith ond na ddylid eu gorfodi - yr hyn roedd yn ei alw’n “codi ffiniau”. Dywedodd Arweinydd y Toriaid, Nick Bourne, yr un peth. Felly beth sydd wedi digwydd i gefnogaeth y Toriaid am Ddeddf Iaith Newydd? Rhaid i’r ddeddf newydd roi hawliau ieithyddol i Gymru Cymraeg. Dyw hwn ddim yn gyson a chynlluniau gwirfoddol, yn enwedig yn y sector preifat. Dyna un o brif ddiffygion y ddeddf bresennol.

Ond mae’n gyson gyda safbwynt y Toriaid ar ieithoedd llai ac aml-ieithrwydd yn Ewrop. Pleidleison nhw i gyd yn erbyn yr hawl i siarad ieithoedd yn y Senedd sy’n cael eu cynabod yn eu gwledydd eu hunain (fel y Gymraeg) ond nid oes ganddynt statws swyddogol yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Fe lwyddon nhw am sbel i blocio unrhyw ddefnydd o ieithoedd fel Catalan a Basg. Methiant fu eu hymdrechion yn y diwedd gan fod ‘na agweddau mwy agored i amrywiaeth diwylliannol a ieithyddol yn Ewrop yn gyffredinol. Ond bu’r Blaid yn ymgyrchu ers blynyddoedd i gael cydnabyddiaeth i’r Gymraeg yn Ewrop yn wyneb gwrthwynebiad llwyr y Toriaid (a Llafur tan yn ddiweddar iawn). Tybed a fyddai’r Toriaid yn cefnogi ymrwymiad yng nghytundeb y clymblaid arfaethedig i rhoi statws “iaith gwaith” i’r Gymraeg yn Senedd Ewrop nawr? Gan fod llywodraeth Prydain wedi cytuno mewn egwyddor, mae hynny o fewn pwerau’r Cynulliad. Neu ydyn nhw’n dweud un peth a gwneud yn wahanol?