CATALAN, TEN MILLION A EUROPEAN LANGUAGE PEOPLE SPEAK CATALAN Catalan is spoken in four European According to estimations of linguistic states (Spain, France, Andorra use in the Catalan-speaking regions, and Italy). In Spain, it is spoken in over 10 million people speak Catalan. Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, virtually This number represents 72.5% of the all over Valencia, in the eastern strip population (adults and children over of Aragon and also in the Carxe area 2 years old) of the Catalan-speaking of Murcia. It is also the only official territories (Catalonia, the Region of language of the small Pyrenean Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Eastern state of Andorra and it is the historic Aragon, Andorra, Northern Catalonia language of most of the Pyrénées- and the city of Alghero in Sardinia). Orientales departments in France, also The overall linguistic area of Catalan called Northern Catalonia. Catalan is language is home to nearly 14 million also spoken in the city of l’Alghero, on people and more than 12 million the island of Sardinia (Italy). people understand it (more than 90% of the population). This makes it comparable to other European languages of similar demographic weight like Norwegian or Danish. Pàgina 4 Pàgina 5 CATALAN HAS A POSITIVE CATALAN IS EU LANGUAGES BY NUMBER OF SPEAKERS INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION NOT A MINORITY GERMAN FRENCH According to the Poll on Linguistic Uses in 2013, there is a positive intergenerational LANGUAGE 82,5 million 74 million transmission of the language, i.e., the percentage of people that pass the language Catalan is the 14th most ENGLISH ITALIAN down to their children is higher than the percentage of people that speak it on a dai- spoken language in the 71,5 million 65 million ly basis. This demonstrates the usefulness and attractiveness of speaking Catalan. European Union among 15-34 year-olds, which +50 million MOST FOREIGN CATALAN IS USED places it above EU official SPANISH POLISH languages such as Danish, RESIDENTS SUBSTANTIALLY BY LOCALS 46,5 million 41 million Finnish, Slovakian, Croatian, DUTCH ROMANIAN UNDERSTAND AND FOREIGNERS ALIKE Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, 23,5 million 19,5 million Slovenian, Maltese, Irish, CATALAN Overall, Catalan is the usual language of GREEK HUNGARIAN or even languages spoken According to the 2011 communication for 43% of the population and 13 million 12,5 million by immigrants from outside Population Census, 82.1% of most of the rest of the population can also Europe, such as Turkish or +10 million foreigners living in Catalonia speak the language and uses it frequently. This Arabic. Surprisingly, Catalan is understand Catalan. This is especially valuable if we take into account the 7th most-learned language CZECH PORTUGUESE represents an increase of that Catalonia has received a lot of immigration 10,6 million 10,4 million among young Europeans, just 21% on the previous Census, coming from the rest of the Spanish State behind other more widely- SWEDISH CATALAN in which only 61.1% of this during the 20th Century, meaning that the 10,2 million 10 million spoken languages such as population group declared any migrant population has learnt Catalan. English, French, German, BULGARIAN DANISH knowledge of the language. 40% of European residents in Catalonia speak Spanish, Russian and Italian, 8,5 million 5,5 million It should be noted that this Catalan. According to the 2011 Population and ahead of languages such SLOVAC FINNISH increase has taken place Census, 130,594 out of 323,255 European as Dutch, Portuguese, Czech 5,2 million 5 million concurrently with the growth residents in Catalonia (both EU and non-EU) or Polish. of the foreign population: state that they can speak Catalan, which +5 million almost one million foreigners amounts to 40.4% of immigrants from this have taken up residence in area. The percentage of Europeans that speak CROATIAN LITHUANIAN 4,3 million 3 million Catalonia since the year 2000. Catalan is higher than groups from other continents, such as Latin Americans (36.2%) SLOVENE LATVIAN 2,5 million 1,9 million and Africans (35.2%). ESTHONIAN MALTESE 1,3 million 520.000 IRISH 200.000 Pàgina 6 Pàgina 7 CATALAN DOES NOT HAVE OFFICIAL STATUS IN SPAIN THERE IS NO THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK Article 3.1 of the Spanish Constitution defines Spanish as the State’s only official PROSPECT OF A FAVORS SPANISH OVER language. Moreover, the same article establishes that speaking Spanish is SOLUTION FOR THE CATALAN IN MULTIPLE AREAS compulsory in Spanish territory. The mandate of speaking a language does not exist RECOGNITION Linguistic legislation related to Catalan is in other European Constitutions, with the exception of Bulgaria. Catalan can only be OF THE LANGUAGE scarce. In fact, compared to other languages officially recognized in territories where it is the native tongue and the respective AT STATE LEVEL with a similar demographic weight, Catalan is self-rule regulations have established it as official, whereas Spanish is compulsory the most unprotected language in Europe. As everywhere, regardless of the volition of the Autonomous Regions and of whether The four main parties in has already been said, it is not official in the it is the Region’s native tongue. Spain, PP (Popular Party), Spanish State (only in some regions where PSOE (Socialists), Ciudadanos it is the original language) or in the European (Liberals) and Podemos THE LEGAL SITUATION OF CATALAN CANNOT Union. Several State laws impose the duty (Radical Left) agree on their of knowing Spanish language and restrict or CATALAN IS ANOMALOUS WITH BE USED IN refusal to modify Article 3.1 nullify the duty to know Catalan, especially REGARD TO OTHER LANGUAGES THE SPANISH of the Spanish Constitution, for public servants working for the Spanish WITH THE SAME NUMBER PARLIAMENT which says: ”Castilian is the Administration in Catalonia. Moreover, there official Spanish language of the OF SPEAKERS As a consequence of its non- are other rules that impose the exclusive use State. All Spaniards have the of Spanish in different areas, such as labeling, Spain is the only democratic State that does official status at State level, duty to know it and the right to official documents, etc. In the Catalan- not recognize a language spoken by more than Catalan cannot be used in the use it”. speaking territories, Spanish and French are 10% of its citizens. These languages enjoy, in Spanish Parliament, making the only languages imposed by law. all democratic countries without exception, the latter the only Parliament in full official recognition in the State where they the European Union that does are spoken, so the language is fully recognized not allow the use of a language THE LEVEL OF LEGAL IMPOSITION spoken as much as Catalan is. both internally and externally and is treated OF SPANISH IS NOTABLE FOR COMPANIES with equality in relation to the other languages Besides, Spanish is the only of the State. Such is the case of Canada, language of the documents According to a study commissioned by the Plataforma per la Llengua in 2014, there Belgium, Finland, etc. Furthermore, within the and the services offered by are 340 rules forcing companies to use Spanish, while only 24 rules establish the European Union, all languages comparable to Embassies and Consulates. obligation to use Catalan, i.e., 93.41% of the legal obligations for companies in Catalan are official languages of the European Catalonia impose the use of Spanish, amounting to 14 times more provisions in institutions. This makes Catalan the only favor of Spanish. On the other hand, 161 laws make Spanish obligatory in labeling exception. The other languages comparable in Catalonia and only 2 laws do so for Catalan. The Spanish state reinforces the to Catalan are fully recognized in all the current legal inequality between Spanish and Catalan by approving new laws walks of life of their speakers: advertising, every year that require the use of Spanish on various products that can be found product labeling, the media, justice, language in Catalonia. Furthermore, Article 15.2 of the Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the availability, etc. European Parliament and the Council states that States have the possibility of labeling products in the European Union languages, which excludes Catalan. Pàgina 8 Pàgina 9 CATALAN HAS AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL WEIGHT Catalan literature is important and has been recognized since the Middle Ages by virtue of the work of authors of the stature of Ramon Llull and Joanot Martorell. With regard to publishing, over 10,000 books are published in Catalan every year. Furthermore, Catalan is the 22nd most-translated language in the world, with a greater number of translations into other languages than others with similar demographics (for example, Greek). Similarly, Catalan occupies the 26th position in terms of translations from other languages. 161 UNIVERSITIES IN CATALAN HAS BEEN THE WORLD TEACH THE LANGUAGE OF CATALAN IMPORTANT WORLDWIDE A total of 161 universities taught PERSONALITIES language and culture studies outside Catalan is the language of important Catalonia through the Ramon Llull personalities whose work has had a Institute during the 2013-14 academic worldwide impact: architects such year. The countries with the greatest as Antoni Gaudí; painters such as offer are France and the United Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies Kingdom, each one offering Catalan and Miquel Barceló; musicians such as Studies at 22 universities. Germany Pau Casals and Josep Carreras; chefs, and Italy are not far behind, with including Ferran Adrià or the Roca 20 and 13, respectively. In Spain, brothers; and scientists, namely Valentí despite being home to 95% of Catalan Fuster, Joan Massaguer, Anna Veiga speakers, Catalan is only taught at ten and Josep Baselga. Moreover, several universities outside its native area.