London, Leeds & Exeter
Tue 30th Aug 2016
English likely to remain as official language of EU
Service: International reach
Sectors:
Following recent media reports stating that English would cease to be an official language of the European Union in the event of a UK withdrawal, a statement has been released on behalf of the European Union Commission’s representation in Ireland.
The statement clarifies that English will remain an official language of the EU unless the Council of Ministers vote unanimously on changes to the institution’s regime. This seems unlikely given that Ireland and Malta use English and most of the countries that have acceded to the Union in recent years use English as their second language.
Article 342 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union states that ‘the rules governing the languages of the institutions of the Union shall, without prejudice to the provisions contained in the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union, be determined by the Council, acting unanimously by means of regulations.’
This was pointed out in an official statement by the European Union Commission’s representation in Ireland in response to recent media reports to the contrary. English acts as a natural bridge between the European Union’s 24 official languages and is the primary language for everyday communication.
Click here to read the full statement.
This briefing is for general information purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice relating to your particular circumstances. We can discuss specific issues and facts on an individual basis and answer any questions you receive from others about Brexit. Please note that the law may have changed since the date this was first published in August 2016.
