Lack of interpreters limits use of Maltese in EU institutions

Although Maltese has been an official EU language since Malta joined the bloc on May 1, the shortage of Maltese interpreters at EU institutions has meant that only a few Maltese speakers have managed to address their EU counterparts in their mother tongue.

Ian Andersen, a spokesman for the Joint Interpreting and Conference Services of the European Commission, told The Times that although in theory Maltese interpretation services are available at all EU institutions, the low number of Maltese interpreters is severely limiting the use of the service.

Mr Andersen said it was proving to be very difficult to find highly qualified Maltese conference interpreters. In fact, only eight are available at the moment and these are not even employees of EU institutions but freelancers from Malta who regularly travel to Brussels and Luxembourg.

There are more than 100 meetings a day in Brussels at which, technically, Maltese interpreters are required, but in reality no more than one or two meetings a day involve the use of such interpreters.

Sources close to the Commission told The Times that even where Maltese interpreters were present during meetings certain Maltese officials still insisted on speaking in English. The same sources added that although Maltese was proving to be quite a problem for the EU, it was not the only language presenting a challenge. Other languages, such as Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian were also problematical.

Mr Andersen said 80 Maltese language interpreters were needed for every working day at all the EU institutions and the EU was trying hard to recruit full-timers. Although given lucrative remuneration packages and considered to have the best employment conditions among EU employees, the EU's efforts to find Maltese language interpreters have so far failed.

In May of last year only 16 candidates responded to an official call for the recruitment of full-time Maltese interpreters and these all failed the examinations held.

Mr Andersen said: "Although training is in the first place the responsibility of the national authorities, the EU's Interpretation and Conference Services have had a number of contacts with the Maltese authorities over the last two years."

Recently, a working group from the European Commission and Parliament worked closely with the Maltese authorities on a project setting up a post-graduate training course for Maltese interpreters. Aptitude tests were organised in May together with the Maltese Education Ministry and the University of Malta.

The first group of promising candidates who passed these tests will be offered the possibility of training at the University of Westminster during 2004-2005.

In the meantime, the search for Maltese language interpreters continues.