Committee of the Region's promotes multilingual workforce or a competitive European economy

EU Committee of the Regions

A conference entitled "The importance of a multilingual society in the promotion of mobility in Europe's regions and cities" examining the importance of multilingualism for Europe's competitiveness will be held in Bolzano, Italy on 16-17 April. Jointly organised by the Committee of the Region's (CoR's) Commission for Culture, Education and Research (EDUC) and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen South Tyrol, at the invitation of Luis DURNWALDER, President of the Province and member of the CoR, the conference will enable participants to consider the cultural, social and economic benefits of Europe's linguistic diversity.

Participants at the conference include Bernat JOAN i MARÍ, Member of the European Parliament, Neasa NÍ CHINNÉIDE, President of the European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages, and Margareta HAUSCHILD, Director of the Goethe Institute in Brussels and Vice-President of the European National Institutes for Culture, who will take part in a panel discussion with EDUC members, European Associations and local experts, focusing specifically on language teaching as a tool to promote intercultural dialogue and to reinforce awareness of a multilingual Europe from a local and regional perspective.

Counsellor Luisa GNECCHI, Vice-President of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen South Tyrol will open a meeting of the CoR's EDUC Commission, taking place the day before the conference. Jyrki MYLLYVIRTA, Mayor of Mikkeli and Chairman of the CoR's EDUC Commission will chair a round table discussion on the recently adopted Green Paper on the European Research Area, with the participation of CoR rapporteur Michael SCHROEREN (DE/EPP), Rita Franceschini, Rector of the Free University of Bolzano/Bozen and representatives from the European Commission, the European Regions Research and Innovation Network and the European Business and Innovation Centres Network.

The meeting will include a discussion on the dossier for "Ageing Well in the Information Society" with rapporteur Risto KOIVISTO (FI/PES) and precedes an on-site visit to the Free University of Bolzano/Bozen providing participants with a practical insight into Bolzano's development as a multilingual, innovative region.
EU Committee of the Regions

The Brussels-based Committee of the Regions (CoR) was established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1994 as a consultative body to provide representatives of local and regional government with a voice at the heart of the European Union. The European Commission and Council of Ministers are obliged to consult the CoR's 344 members on proposed EU laws across a wide range of policy areas, including employment, transport and the environment. The assembly can also be consulted by the European Parliament.