Council of Europe recommends Romansch protection
The Council of Europe's committee on minority languages has urged that Switzerland adopt measures to protect its Romansch-speaking community.
It called on Swiss authorities at every level – federal, state and community – to ensure that the Romansch-speaking population “benefits fully from protection provided” by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
In the Romansch heartland of canton Graubünden, nearly 70,000 people speak the five different versions of the language.
The charter’s independent Committee of Experts urged the canton to remove “practical and legal” impediments to the use of the Italian and Romansch languages.
They also stressed that the use of Romansch and Italian in local government should be improved.
The Committee of Experts issued their recommendation after gathering information during visits to Switzerland as well as drawing from reports submitted periodically by non-governmental organisations and Switzerland itself.
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages aims to improve state legislation, policy and practices regarding the status of minority languages.
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