Official languages of the Council of Europe

Resolution 188 (1960)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 29th September 1960 (20th Sitting) (see Doc. 1217, Report of the Political Committee) Text adopted by the Assembly on 29th September 1960 (20th Sitting).

The Assembly,

Having regard to Rules 17 and 18 of its Rules of Procedure;

Considering that, under Article 12 of the Statute of the Council of Europe, it is for the Consultative Assembly to decide in what circumstances and under what conditions languages other than the official languages may be used in its proceedings:

Considering it desirable to add to the languages that may be used in the Assembly and its committees;

Having regard to the results, appended to the report of the Political Committee, of the questionnaire on the use of languages which was sent to all members of the Assembly in pursuance of Order No. 149,

Decides :

(a) That Rules 18 and 19 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly shall be amended to read as follows :

"RULE 18

Sittings of the Assembly

1. Speeches made in one of the following languages: English, French or German, shall be simultaneously interpreted into the other two languages.

2. Speeches may also be made in Dutch, Italian and the Scandinavian languages. Arrangements for simultaneous interpretation from these languages into English, French and German shall be the responsibility of the delegations concerned. The cost of such interpretation shall, however, be shared equally by these delegations and the Budget of the Assembly.

3. Speeches may be made in a language other than those mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 2. In such cases the speaker himself shall be responsible for arranging for consecutive interpretation into one of the languages mentioned in paragraph 1; this version shall be simultaneously interpreted into the other languages.

"RULE 19

Meetings of committees

1. If, in committee, interpretation is necessary, it shall be done in the following languages. English, French and German, unless the committee unanimously decides to dispense with interpretation into one or other of these languages:

Rule 18 (2) shall be applicable to committees."

(b) That this Resolution shall take effect as soon as the Committee of Ministers has authorised the necessary appropriations.