Request for aid for interpreters' course

Two members of the Green-EFA Group in the European parliament, Mercedes Echerer from Austria and Eurig Wyn from Wales, have asked the European Commission to offer financial assistance for the training of translators/interpreters at the University of Malta.

Alternattiva Demokratika said the request was made in view of the risk that the Maltese language will not be spoken in the parliament because of a lack of interpreters.

The aim of any financial assistance would be to enable Maltese interpreters and translators to qualify in a shorter space of time from a full-time course.

The request was made on the initiative of AD's Arnold Cassola, the secretary general of the European Greens.

Prof. Cassola said it was important that the Maltese people realise that this was not only a linguistic issue but also a very sensitive political issue. A country that showed it did not respect its language by failing to ensure it was spoken at the European institutional level would lose the respect of other countries for its lack of interest, he said.

"It is also important that we get to know why the government, despite having applied to join the EU 14 years ago, failed to prepare adequately for such an important issue and only gave the go-ahead for the start of a course for interpreters and translators at the University of Malta in 2003," he added.