MINISTERS’ DEPUTIES

Recommendations

CM/RecChL(2022)2

16 February 2022

Recommendation CM/RecChL(2022)2 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages by Poland (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 16 February 2022 at the 1425th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

 

The Committee of Ministers,

In accordance with Article 16 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages;

Bearing in mind the instrument of ratification deposited by Poland on 12 February 2009;

Having taken note of the evaluation made by the Committee of Experts of the Charter with respect to the application of the Charter by Poland;

Bearing in mind that this evaluation is based on information submitted by Poland in its third periodical report, supplementary information given by the Polish authorities, information submitted by bodies and associations legally established in Poland and on the information obtained by the Committee of Experts during its on-the spot visit;

Recommends that Poland take account of all the observations and recommendations of the Committee of Experts and, as a matter of priority:

1.         strengthen efforts to promote awareness and tolerance in Polish society as a whole in relation to the regional or minority languages and the cultures they represent;

2.         reconsider the application of the 20% threshold with regard to the undertakings in Article 10 of the Charter and create the legal possibility of submitting oral or written applications in regional or minority languages, also in districts and voivodships;

3.         make available education with Belarusian, German, Kashub, Lemko and Ukrainian as the medium of instruction at pre-school, primary and secondary levels;

4.         provide the basic and further training of a sufficient number of teachers for regional or minority language education, as well as updated textbooks and other teaching materials;

5.         take measures to strengthen the offer of broadcasting in all regional or minority languages;

6.         establish, in close co-operation with the speakers concerned, a structured policy and take flexible measures facilitating the application of the Charter to Armenian, Czech, Karaim, Romani, Russian, Slovak, Tatar and Yiddish.

The Committee of Ministers invites the Polish authorities to submit their fourth periodical report by
1 June 2022.[1]