Spanje stelt voor om van Galicisch, Baskisch en Catalaans officiële EU-talen te maken (en) - Main contents

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos on Monday (13 December) presented proposals to make Galician, Basque and Catalan-Valencian official EU languages.

At a regular meeting of Foreign Ministers in Brussels on Monday Mr Moratinos submitted proposal calling for Basque and Galician to be accepted as "official and working languages", of the EU according to El Mundo.

With domestic problems over the similarity, or not, of Valencian and Catalan the proposal also put forward recognition of "the language known as Catalan in Catalonia and the Balearic islands and Valencian in Valencia".

The move follows a similar proposal by the Irish government for Irish to become an official language.

However little movement is expected to take place before Spain's February referendum on the EU.

The recognition of Catalan has become a focal point for rejecting the Constitution among Catalan nationalist and leftist parties.

Spain's Europe Minister Alberto Navarro has proposed four interim measures including shoring up the right of citizens to petition the EU in their own language.

Madrid has also proposed translations for some EU legislation, the right for MEPs to address the chamber in their language.

Madrid has offered to foot the bill for translation.

The unanimous approval of the 25 EU members is needed before any changes can come into force.