Cultural Policy of EU and Intercultural Contacts in Belgium

欧洲在很大程度上保留了其原始语言的多样性（部分源于拉丁语和古希腊语），这种多样性是从遥远的过去开始的文化发展过程的结果。欧洲语言的多样性当然是需要保护的财富。这本质上是一个在欧洲联盟内创造一种多样性背景下相互尊重的普遍气氛的问题，即促进对欧洲特有的无数语言和文化细微差别的更好理解，从而试图产生一种基于承认和团结的积极容忍精神。正是本着这种精神，欧盟就如何促进语言理解和宽容精神，鼓励共同体的语言教学提出了一些切实可行的建议。与其深入研究技术问题的可能解决方案，不如本着自由和相互尊重的精神，采取一些旨在解决欧盟地理区域内语言问题的政治措施。本着这种精神，双语和多语虽然是欧洲的一个特征，但在很大程度上却被忽视了，无论在哪里出现，无论是在区域、人群还是个人，都应该得到承认。这种新方法也将对缓和语言群体之间的紧张关系作出重大贡献。此外，行政实践应考虑到跨国界的语言模式，并在拟订培训方案时，为地理上彼此接近的语言留下适当的空间。

Europe has to a large extent retained the diversity of its original languages (derived in part from Latin and Ancient Greek), this diversity being the outcome of a process of cultural development that began in the distant past. The multiplicity of European languages is of course a treasure to be safeguarded. It is essentially a question of creating in the European Union a general atmosphere of mutual respect in a context of diversity, I.e. of fostering better understanding of the innumerable linguistic and cultural nuances that are specific to Europe, and thus attempt to produce a spirit of positive tolerance based on recognition and solidarity. It is in this spirit that some practical suggestions of the EU are put forward on how to promote a spirit of linguistic comprehension and tolerance, and encourage language teaching in the Community. Rather than delve into possible solutions to technical problems, it would be advisable to adopt a number of political measures aimed at settling linguistic problems within the EU geographical area in a spirit of freedom and mutual respect.In this spirit, bilingualism and multilingualism, while very much a feature in Europe, are largely ignored and should be given recognition wherever they occur, be it in regions, groups of people, or individuals. This new approach would also make a major contribution to easing tension between language groups. Furthermore, administrative practice should take cross-border linguistic patterns into account and, when training programmes are drawn up, leave a suitable amount of room for languages that are geographically close to each other.