DGT Radio — Radio Lingvistika

Malta. Just over half a million inhabitants — and a fascinating language, mixing Arabic roots with Italian words.  Antoinette Camilleri, from the University of Malta, tells us about the tumultuous history of the Maltese language, and explains how it has developed since it became an official language of the European Union 20 years ago – in a country that is thoroughly multilingual. Music: Days past by In Closing; iċ-Ċimiterju by Brodu; Tifkiriet by Simon Bartolo, performed by Amber and Mary Rose Mallia Poem: X'jibqa' fina by Adrian Grima, read by Stephanie Abood

"AI@EC network" , "e-briefing lab", "e-summary", "AI explorers", "DGT GPT Lab": what and who is behind these new tools, services and networks recently developed by the European Commission's DG Translation? Cristian Brasoveanu, from the informatics unit in DG Translation, tells us all about it.Sound/music: Thomas Perissino and "Days past" by In Closing

For this special episode, 4 experts from the EMT (European Master’s in translation) and from LIND (language industry expert group) discuss what they do in their networks and how they wish to better work together, within what they see as a true “ecosystem”. Before their lively and enlightening exchange, we talk with 2 colleagues from DG Translation who tell us more about the EMT and LIND and how they brought them together into a brainstorming workshop.With Britta Aagaard and Oleksandr Bondarenko (LIND); Alexandra Krause and Emilia Perez (EMT); Anna Kokkinidou and Inkaliisa Vihonen (DGT)Music: "Days Past" by In Closing

Nike Pokorn, from the University of Ljubljana, takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of literary translation in Slovenia. Starting with a brief recap of the history of Slovenia and of the Slovenian language, she explains the crucial role translation has played in the development of the language and of the national identity, and how translators are still shaping modern-day Slovenian. [40 mn]With an extract from the poem “Srce v alkoholu” (Srečko Kosovel), read by Miha Žličar Music: "Lipa zelenela je" (Miroslav Vilhar, Davorin Jenko), performed by Elise Artoisenet, and "Days past" (In Closing)   

What is it like to be a Quality Officer in DG Translation? What do Quality Officers do? How do they work? How do they collaborate with each other? And how do they cooperate with others, in DGT and outside? What is their impact on DGT translators' everyday work?Mateja Arnejsek, Ilona Klemm, Renate Mueller and Karolina Stefaniak, Quality Officers in DGT, share their experience with us.

1 million signatures, 7 countries, 7 organisers: that’s what it takes for EU citizens to request new legislation from the European Commission, through the European Citizens’ initiative (ECI).Barbara Walentynowicz, member of the ECI team in the Commission's Secretariat-General, tells us about this paneuropean multilingual instrument of participatory democracy. She explains how essential translation is in the process, and how her team collaborates with DG Translation every step of the way. [With an extract from the Euractiv YouTube channel – Declaration by Alain Lamassoure and Olivier Chastel]

Exposition sur l’histoire de la traduction du Ve siècle à nos jours, rencontre multilingue à la frontière hispano-portugaise, soirée artistico-culinaire sur les «mots qui voyagent» : découvrez quelques-unes des activités organisées par les antennistes du Département espagnol de la DGT à l’occasion de la Journée européenne des langues, le 26 septembre, et de la Présidence espagnole du Conseil de l’UE [en français et en anglais].

Mariano Martín Rodriguez, traducteur au département espagnol de la DGT, nous emmène en voyage dans l’Espagne médiévale, à l’époque où la langue castillane prend son essor tout en s’imprégnant des cultures arabe et hébraïque qui font alors partie intégrante de la péninsule ibérique. Une plongée passionnante dans l’histoire linguistique et culturelle de l’Espagne. 

With Ingemar Strandvik, Quality Manager and ISO expert in DGT, discover the surprising world of ISO translation standards: no less than 38 national bodies and 19 organisations meeting within ISO to discuss and define the processes of translating, revising and post-editing texts. Learn about “ISO 17100”, the “gold standard” in translation, as well as other ISO standards dealing with languages, and their relevance for our daily work. 

Que veut dire «EMAS»? Que trouve-t-on sur la page «DGT Goes green»? Où vont les vêtements et appareils électriques usagés collectés dans nos bâtiments? Agavni Bagdikian, correspondante EMAS à la DGT, répond à nos questions, et nous explique comment la DGT a relancé une plateforme de co-voiturage et a été primée 2 fois pour l'organisation d'«évènements durables». Enfin, nous suivons Agavni et quelques collègues dans les rues d'Evere, pour une opération qui lui tient à cœur: le ramassage de déchets dans l'espace public. [20 mn] 

Meet Fani, Niina and Valeria, who share their experience of DGT's Job Shadowing scheme. Fani, from Planning, discovered the world of DGT traineeships. Niina paired with another assistant to explore new ways of working. Valeria opened her director's office to a translator, for lively and enlightening discussions on each other's work. While they are all already planning their next host or guest experience, Boryana, the scheme's coordinator, explains how easy it is to apply, and how enriching it can be. [in English and French] 

Expérience inédite de démocratie participative 100 % multilingue à l'échelle de l'UE, la Conférence sur l'avenir de l'Europe a permis à des centaines de milliers d'Européens de dialoguer et de débattre pendant une année, au-delà des barrières linguistiques, grâce à la traduction et à l'interprétation. Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul, de la Direction générale Communication à la Commission européenne, relate cette aventure passionnante, qui se poursuit aujourd'hui avec la tenue régulière de panels citoyens européens, et rappelle combien le multilinguisme est au coeur de ce processus. 

We hear and translate about the "blue bioeconomy", but what is it exactly? What does the European Commission mean by "Putting the Blue into the Green"? And why is it striving to "unlock the potential" of algae: are we heading for a "seaweed revolution"? Maris Sturgis and Lorenzo Paliotta, from the Commission's DG Mare, answer our questions.

Shanna, Tomai and Robert tell us about DGT's Irish language department, how it started with a handful of translators, and then grew at record pace until the end of the Irish language derogation last year. They also tell us about the Irish language, its main features and how it slowly asserted itself as an official EU language, and give us a glimpse at the vibrant Irish language community living in Brussels. 

Jeroen Aspeslagh, head of DGT's Editing unit, talks about his team, how they work and who with, to carry out their numerous activities and projects: not only improving the quality of originals, but also training colleagues in the Commission, campaigning for clear writing, and even organising a biennial EU-wide conference on plain language. 

Qu'est-ce que le "NEB" (New European Bauhaus – Nouveau Bauhaus européen), cette initiative phare de la Commission européenne qui cherche à traduire, dans nos espaces et modes de vie, les objectifs de transition écologique du Pacte vert pour l'Europe? Depuis le Centre de visites de la Commission, rénové selon les critères du Nouveau Bauhaus, Célia Dejond, du Service du porte-parole, nous explique les différentes facettes de l'initiative — de nombreux projets, mais aussi des prix, un festival, un laboratoire (NEB Lab) et une boussole (NEB Compass), et souligne l'importance de la traduction et du multilinguisme dans ce processus. 

Meet Chiara, Leonardo, Olga, Maurits and Sara, 5 enthusiastic and dynamic young trainees based in Brussels and in Luxembourg, who share with us their experience in DGT, the European Commission's Directorate General for Translation: their work in their language units, their busy agenda of professional and fun events, their life in Brussels, Luxembourg, and in the office, and how they deal with machine translation.

Comment travaille l'Office des publications (OP), qui donne accès à la législation de l'UE et à toutes les données émanant des institutions européennes? Comment s'effectue le contrôle qualité des textes traduits par la DGT? Qui gère et met à jour le Code de rédaction interinstitutionnel, la «bible» des traducteurs et traductrices de l'UE? Benoît Vermeersch, responsable de l'unité «Contrôle qualité» à l'Office des publications, répond à nos questions. 

Meet the team behind "Your Europe", the 2nd most visited EU website: up to 58 million visitors a year, finding practical answers to concrete questions on citizens' rights in the EU, from taking one's dog abroad to VAT rates in other countries — all in 23 languages.Patrick McCarthy and Adriaan Vermijs, from the European Commission's DG GROW (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs), explain how they work and collaborate with DGT translators to reach out to EU citizens and businesses in their languages. 

Turning waste into a resource and designing recyclable products: Luis Planas, from DG ENV (the European Commission's Directorate General in charge of the environment), explains how the circular economy aims for zero waste to address the triple planetary crisis (climate change – pollution – biodioversity loss). He tells us how the EU is striving to reach this aim with its Circular Economy Action Plan, sent for translation to DGT. 

Avec passion et enthousiasme, Fabián Diego Luis nous raconte, sans fard et à cœur ouvert, plus de 30 ans au service de l'Union européenne. Guidé par le souci de l'humain et la défense du multilinguisme, il a fait son chemin dans les ressources humaines, organisant plus de 100 concours et recrutant des centaines de collègues, à l'Office des publications, à la Cour de justice de l'UE et au Comité économique et social. Aux commandes de l'unité R.4 à la DGT, il a supervisé le soutien apporté aux traducteurs, toujours ébloui par ce «miracle de tous les jours» que constitue pour lui la traduction. À l'heure de prendre sa retraite, il nous parle aussi de sa passion intime, la littérature, de ses meilleurs souvenirs et de ses regrets, et nous fait part de ses souhaits pour l'avenir de la DGT. 

How does the Spokesperson's service (SPP) work and collaborate with DGT, its key partner for multilingual communication? Maja Maricic, member of the SPP, tells us about the teams and tasks of the Spokesperson's service, and answers translators' questions about press releases, speeches and other content sent for translation to DGT. 

What are the causes of the current energy crisis? What has the EU done so far and what emergency measures has the EU council just adopted? How do the State of the Energy Union reports sent for translation to DGT fit into the EU's overall energy and climate action? Mechthild Wörsdörfer, deputy Director General of DG ENER (the European Commission's Directorate General for Energy), answers our questions and tells us how we should prepare for this winter. 

Quelle est la place du multilinguisme sur les pages web de la Commission européenne? Qui décide de quoi en matière d'usage des langues, et quelle est la part de la traduction humaine et de la traduction automatique sur ces pages?Daniel Prou, membre de l'unité «Europa Web Communication» au sein de la direction générale Communication, nous en dit plus sur la place des langues sur nos pages web.

As translators in DGT, we work closely with terminologists in our language departments — but never directly wit D.1, our Terminology Coordination Unit. What exactly do they do, behind the scenes, to assist us in our everyday work?In this episode of Radio Lingvistika, Maria Rzewuska‑Waligóra, head of Unit D.1, tells us about D.1's team and work and how they collaborate in and around IATE, within and outside DGT. 

Does ‘Eurovision’ ring a bell? The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is, among many other things, the organiser of the famous song contest. This non-profit organisation is working for over a 100 public media services based in 56 countries. Together, they provide audiovisual content to 1 billion people, in 153 languages.In this new episode of Radio Lingvistika, our 3 guests from EBU explain how they work, why EBU was created and how they deal with languages. They also present their new project, ‘A European perspective’, which aims at breaking national barriers by sharing on-line news from all over the continent, delivered to citizens in their language, with the help of artificial intelligence. 

Que signifie l'acronyme «SCIC»? Et «faire le retour» en interprétation? Quels outils utilisent les interprètes aujourd'hui en cabine? Quelles ont été les conséquences de la pandémie sur leur travail?Dans ce nouvel épisode de Radio Linguistika, Marc Van Dommelen, interprète et chef d'unité (f.f.), répond à nos questions sur le SCIC et l'interprétation. Il nous explique comment la DG Interprétation et la DG Traduction collaborent étroitement, de IATE à Juvenes Translatores. Bonne écoute!

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, over 13 million Ukrainians have had to flee their homes. The EU does A LOT to help civilians, inside and outside Ukraine. In this episode of Radio Linguistika, Hanna-Kaisa Lepik, from DG ECHO (the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations in the European Commission), tells us about this extraordinary effort. She explains how the EU gets the aid delivered where it's needed. And how DG ECHO is working around the clock to make this happen. 

Many people may think that they just have to press the button on their remote control and then subtitles appear on their screen miraculously. Or they think that it’s completely normal that cowboys in films are perfectly speaking their language. They are not aware of the enormous work behind. So let us have a look at the backstage with AVT-specialist Emilia Perez.

Many people may think that they just have to press the button on their remote control and then subtitles appear on their screen miraculously. Or they think that it’s completely normal that cowboys in films are perfectly speaking their language. They are not aware of the enormous work behind. So let’s have a look at the backstage with AVT-specialist Emilia Perez. Those who want to know more about this interesting topic can still register for a summer school on the topic this Friday 4 June. You can also read the relevant article in an openly accessible manual, written by Emilia Perez.

After the end of the pandemic, the badly damaged European economy has to be rebuilt like after a war. Therefore, an enormous financial package, the Euope Recovery Fund has been adopted. Jorge Valero will explain its true nature. He will answer the questions, if it is a good thing, what is its state of implementation and what challenges are ahead. How Europe will look like after the recovery?

Accessible language – easy, plain language and other variants - is a growing new domain of translation, with interesting job perspectives for translators already now. Professor Christiane Maaß from Hildesheim University, founder of the New Research Centre on Easy Language, is an eminent specialist for accessible language in Germany. Among many other publications, she has written a book on the manual with the full title: “Easy Language – Plain Language – Easy Language Plus. Balancing comprehensibility and acceptability” This publication is available online for free. We will deliver the link together with other links to openly accessible books on the subject.

Accessible language – easy, plain language and other variants - is a growing new domain of translation, with interesting job perspectives for translators already now. Professor Christiane Maaß from Hildesheim University, founder of the New Research Centre on Easy Language, is an eminent specialist for accessible language in Germany. Among many other publications, she has written a book on the manual with the full title: “Easy Language – Plain Language – Easy Language Plus. Balancing comprehensibility and acceptability” This publication is available online for free. We will deliver the link together with other links to openly accessible books on the subject.

Récemment, la Commission européenne a adopté un paquet d’envergure énorme : le Green Deal ou Pacte vert. Le journaliste Xavier Dupret en explique l‘enjeu, les mesures concrètes et les risques liés : Est-ce que les 12 mesures décidées extrêmement ambitieux sont réalistes ou plutôt des châteaux ? Est-ce qu’il y a le risque des défaillances sociales et des blackouts ? 

Qui ne connait pas l’embarras devant un menu à l’étranger qu’on ne comprend pas ou mal? C’est la fin des haricots (du monde), on est dans la choucroute (dans l’embarras). Pour ne pas se ridiculiser on commande un plat quelconque, on se laisse rouler dans la farine (avoir). À la fin, on reçoit un repas qu’on n’aime pas et les oseilles n’ont plus la cote (l’argent est perdu).Vu la longue tradition de l’art culinaire en France, le français de cuisine tend des pièges tout à fait particuliers aux non initiés. À l’occasion de la Présidence française du Conseil, le département français se penche sur ce domaine linguistique avec une série de desserts, un pas mois, avec des explications (linguistiques et autres) et les recettes. 

In view of the upcoming Czech presidency in July 2022, two Czech colleagues, who are also Bohemists (experts of the Czech language), present the phonetical and other subtleties of the Czech language. For instance, strč prst skrz krk – put your finger through your throat – is a sentence without any vowel! You can even tell a whole story without vowels. In grammar, there is an abundance of declension and conjugation forms. On the other hand, it is a Western Slavic language, which is quite easily understandable for Polish and especially Slovak speakers. In fact, Czech and Slovak are so close to each other, that intercomprehension (every interlocutor speaking his own language) is no challenge.

La déforestation est une catastrophe écologique énorme : dans les 30 années passées, nous avons perdu la surface incroyable de 180 mio d‘ha de forêts - trois fois la France! Si nous continuons comme ça, le jour est proche, où nous n‘aurons plus de forêts. Les forêts, surtout les forêts tropicales dans l’hémisphère sud, sont le poumon vert de la planète, si nous les perdons, l’impact climatique sera décisif: 1807 mio. de tonnes de CO² = 40%  des émissions (2005-2017)! Toute l’énergie verte ne nous servira donc à rien, si nous ne réussirons pas à arrêter la deforestation. Or, L’Union Européenne est le 2e importateur de  produits qui causent la déforestation (soja, huile de palmes et autres). Il faudra donc bannir ces importations. 

En 2021, „Punto y coma“, le journal publié par les départements espagnols des services de traductions, fête ses 30 ans et a occupé la 2ième place dans le ranking du European Ombudsman Award for Good Administration.Il avait donc été fondé en 1991, cinq ans après l‘adhésion de l‘Espagne et du Portugal à l‘Union. Maintenant, "Punto y coma" est à son 171ième numéro  C'est le plus ancien des journaux publiés par les traducteurs des services de l‘Union Eurpéenne, mais pas du tout l‘unique. À titre d'exemple, cette émission présente "Punto y coma" (point et virgule) ainsi que "A folha" (la feuille) son pendant portugais. Ces deux journaux travaillent souvent ensemble, vu la proximité des deux langues.

Peut-être que vous ne le savez pas encore, mais depuis 2017, il y a un Musée de l’histoire européenne à Bruxelles. Nous vous offrons une visite guidée dans ce magnifique musée, nous voudrions expliquer sa conception et nous pencher, plus généralement, sur la notion « histoire européenne ». Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire? Un entretien avec Constanze Itzel, la directrice du Musée. 

Terminology is an essential issue for all translators, especially those who – as in DGT – deal with specialised texts in a wide range of technical domains. Terminology comes from the Latin word, terminus, which means: „end“, „limit“. The Romans even had a god terminus, often represented as a bust on a a boundary marker, declaring: Concedo nulli – I yield no ground! Thus, the basic meaning of terminus (technicus)/term is delimitation or definition. Indeed, terminology has two principal meanings: the terms or system of terms used in a specific science, art etc. and, on the other hand, the systematic study of terms.Maria Rzewuska-Waligóra who is head of the unit D.1 Terminology Coordination explains the work of her unit and gives an overview of the services it delivers to DGT and the other translation services of the EU. Ms Rzewuska-Waligóra recommends the following eLearning course: Terminology Mining and Data-Driven Knowledge ModellingHere is the link to get to the Collaborative site of D.1 : Terminology Coordination - HOME (europa.eu)

Introduction When Ursula von der Leyen became president of the European Commission, her first big project was the so called Green Deal, which was then a little bit banished from our minds by the virus. So what is the Green Deal exactly? What are its possible social costs? Did all Member States agree to the proposals of « Fit for 55 », which was no yoga program for the older generation? In his last broadcast for Radio DGT, Jorge Valero explains the Green Deal, its financial and social impact on the one hand and the adjustment of fiscal rules on the other. DGT will certainly have to translate thousands of pages dealing with the green deal and its consequences. Jorge sets the stage and explains the context.

La traduction, c’est le savoir-faire avec les différences culturelles. Le réseau des « Maisons de la Sagesse » établi par la philosophe Barbara Cassin a une triple fonction : mettre à pied un glossaire bilingue pour aider l’administration française à comprendre des notions culturelles difficiles, à contribuer à l’insertion de l’étranger et à la recherche sur les intraduisibles. Pourquoi êtes-vous tous nés le 31 décembre ? Pourquoi vous ne voulez pas répondre à la question sur les antécédents médicaux ? Voici des exemples de difficultés réelles que Danièle Vozny, vice-présidente de l’association va nous expliquer.  

Translating Europe is a DGT project created to bring together translation stakeholders in Europe. Inspired by this name, let us call this broadcast Translating World. Radio Lingvistika asks two ex-colleagues from DGT about the respective translation services they work for now: Josep Bonet, who is now in Geneva in the World Trade Organisation and Seger Bonebakker from the UNO in New York. Both ex-colleagues have, of course, a profound knowledge on how we are working in DGT, so they can compare easily. Therefore, how is work in Geneva and New York compared with Brussels and Luxembourg?

Translating Europe is a DGT project created to bring together translation stakeholders in Europe. Inspired by this name, let us call this broadcast Translating World. Radio Lingvistika asks two ex-colleagues from DGT about the respective translation services they work for now: Josep Bonet, who is now in Geneva in the World Trade Organisation and Seger Bonebakker from the UNO in New York. Both ex-colleagues have, of course, a profound knowledge on how we are working in DGT, so they can compare easily. Therefore, how is work in Geneva and New York compared with Brussels and Luxembourg?

Le grand défi : le chinois pour la DGT, la Chine pour l’EuropeÀ la DGT, on ne travaille pas qu’avec les langues officielles de l’Union Européenne: une des langues extra-européennes qui a une importance particulière, vu le nombre de ses locuteurs et le poids énorme et croissant du pays, est évidemment le chinois, la langue la plus parlée du monde. Quels types de textes traduit-on, quels outils sont-ils utilisés et quelles sont les difficultés principales? Ce sont les questions auxquelles va répondre la traductrice chinoise du département anglais de la DGT, Sing Sing Ngai.Ce qui vaut pour la langue en ce qui concerne la DGT, vaut encore plus le pays, la Chine, face à l’Europe: le poids démographique du pays le plus peuplé du monde, son importance politique et économique énorme en font un souci permanent des dirigeants européens. Le journaliste Xavier Dupret donne un aperçu des enjeux les plus importants.

Le 1er juillet 2021, la Slovénie reprend la présidence de l‘Union Européenne. Jetons un regard sur ce petit pays si varié et surtout sur sa langue, le slovène. Les armoiries de la Slovénie montrent le plus haut sommet de la Slovénie, le Triglav de 2864 m et la mer. En effet, dans ce pays, qui ne fait que deux tiers du territoire belge, on trouve des hautes montagnes et la côte méditerranéenne à très peu de distance. La langue est aussi variée que le paysage. Elle est présentée par deux collègues du département slovène, Vera Pejovič et Maksimiljan Gulič, qui ont écrit l‘article sur le slovène dans la série consacrée à l‘Année européenne de la culture.

Once upon a time, Celtic languages were being spoken all over Europe from the British Islands till Anatolia, land of the Galatians (Greek name for the Celts), where Saint Paul addressed a letter to them. Today they eke out a marginal existence at the edges of Brittany, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. What are the features of these languages, their kinship and mutual intelligibility? Which policies eliminated them? How does the Celtic issue influence the Post-Brexit situation? Our colleague Diarmuid Johnson, who has written books on these topics, provides answers.

Those of you who live in Brussels could not overlook the event: police everywhere, helicopters in the air, big parts of the centre fenced off. Much more than the normal nuisance linked to EU summits bigger: the visit of an American president. The first EU-US summit in Brussels after Biden’s accession to power has ended 15 June. Have all disputes smouldering since Trump’s presidency or much longer been resolved? What are the most important results of this milestone meeting. Jorge Valero will explain what has been achieved and what not.

Milan Kundera a déploré « l’irréparable échec » de l’Europe qui « n‘a pas réussi à penser sa littérature comme unité historique ». Or, il y a des initiatives qui essaient de réparer cet échec. Dans le cadre de son programme « Europe créative », la Commission a mis en place un « Prix de littérature de l’Union européenne ». Les lauréats de 2021 viennent d’être nommés; la remise des prix aura lieu le 9 novembre à Bruxelles. Arnaud Pasquali de la DG EAC va présenter le programme et le prix. Vous voulez acheter un livre en maltais ou hongrois à Bruxelles ? Pas de souci, il y a une libraire qui offre des livres dans toutes les langues officielles de l’Union: Inspiré par le prix, Antonio Parodi a fondé à Ixelles, chaussée de Wavre, 128, Librebook (librebook.eu), une librairie européenne aussi dans le sens multilingue du terme. Il présente sa librairie et son programme.

L'Iran réapparait régulièrement à la une des médias: droits de l'homme, promotion du terrorisme, menaces contre Israël, mais surtout son programme nucléaire. Les négociations ont été épineuses, mais l'accord a tenu quelque temps, jusqu'à l'arrivée de Trump. Maintenant les négociations reprennent. Quels sont les enjeux et les perspectives?

Once upon a time, Celtic languages were being spoken all over Europe from the British Islands till Anatolia, land of the Galatians (Greek name for the Celts), where Saint Paul addressed a letter to them. Today they eke out a marginal existence at the edges of Brittany, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. What are the features of these languages, their kinship and mutual intelligibility? Which policies eliminated them? How does the Celtic issue influence the Post-Brexit situation? Our colleague Diarmuid Johnson, who has written books on these topics, provides answers.

Hélas, Catherine Vieilledent-Montfort nous quitte pour partir à sa retraite bien méritée. Ce fait bien triste pour nous nous donne l'occasion jeter un regard en arrière sur 5 ans de Radio DGT. Pour cette émission nous avons retrouvé aussi le père-fondateur de la radio, Sauro Orsini. Partez avec nous dans ce voyage à travers le temps!

2020 a été l’année de toutes les ruptures (Covid-19, Plan de relance, ressources propres, Brexit). Alain Lamassoure, plusieurs fois ministre en France et eurodéputé (1999-2019), commente et formule ses attentes pour la Conférence sur l’avenir de l’Europe qui doit démarrer le 9 mai 2021.

This is the current plight of the Visiting Translating Scheme. However, its general mission is not impossible at all: online VTS projects can bridge the Corona-time and prepare the ground for real visits. Let us listen to two colleagues who could not carry out their missions in 2020, but nevertheless kept in touch with their partners.

​Christos ELLINIDES, DDG Translation, explains what DGT's workrate is: a long term reference value to assess in-house capacity and resource needs, expressed as "page equivalent" including quality control. The rate remains stable, even during COVID, despite major production shocks in line with the legislative agenda. But "the center still holds".

Alain Cambier, auteur de "Philosophie de la post-vérité", analyse les conséquences pour la démocratie quand la conviction violente se substitue à la recherche de la vérité. http://alaincambier.fr/

​Emma Charlotte Hartkamp (Field Officer in The Hague) and Martin Voigt (organizing team) tell us how they recast this language festival under Covid-19. What were the benefits for their public, partners and organisers? The future of reading was a top focus among the many activities that highlighted language, translation and multilingualism. Emma and Martin explain.

Prof. Rudy Loock (Lille Univ.) explains how to put the social media to the professional use of translators, and build a strong e-reputation. This is a follow-up to the survey he conducted among translators (https://blogs.ec.europa.eu/emt/)

James Archibald(McGill University) discusses the key findings of a conference held mid October. Is language a condition to enjoy one’s rights effectively? What if we were all concerned? More about the project to have a language-neutral plain language standard recognized internationally. https://www.accessforallconference.com/program https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32012L0013 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB3254 https://droitsquotidiens.design/

Norman Jardine, DG HR&Security, presents the early results of the 3-month in-house consultation towards the Commission’s HR strategy due for early 2021. The Staff expressed engagement and concern on their working conditions and well being under COVID, on attracting (and keeping) talent, on career structure, on diversity and inclusion, on leadership … Let us not waste the chance for an earnest rethink. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/connected/groups/new-hr-strategy-for-the-commission

Our colleagues from Rome, Vienna, Warsaw and their coordinator in the DGT.02 Communication Unit present the campaign conducted across the EU over two months for the European Day of Languages. They explain their strategies to make the role of translation visible and reach out to local audiences. https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/translation/discovertranslation_en

Angelique Bouin, correspondante permanente de Radio France Benelux parle de son métier et des difficultés liées au temps de la législation européenne et à la fragmentation de l’espace audiovisuel. Avec le risque que l’Europe soit absente de la langue commune.

Norman Jardine, Principal Adviser in Human Resources, met DGT staff on 23.09 in preparation of the Commission's new HR Strategy. Why an HR strategy now, why a consultation process? Norman explains. The COVID crisis will have an impact on the future of work in the Commission. What is a fair deal for staff who are expected to be ever more flexible in working hours, space arrangements and limited in staffing numbers? What could be the new normal? Find out about the discussion.

The EU steered the public health crisis and is now steering the Recovery Plan with the green and digital transformation as priorities. Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, Director Gal for Communication in the Commission, explains the challenges to ensure fast, consistent and coordinated communication on these. She observes that the close collaboration with translators is essential in the drive to localise messages and reach out to the citizens.

Rodolfo Maslias, Head of Terminology Coordination at the European Parliament, presents new initiatives to promote EU multilingual terminology with the general public. Ref: https://termcoord.eu/category/iate-term-of-the-week/ https://termcoord.eu/iate-goes-audio/ https://yourterm.org/

Christian Tremblay, Observatoire européen du plurilinguisme C. Tremblay a continué à se passionner pour la langue et suivi la floraison des néologismes pendant le confinement. Il retrace la généalogie d’un concept oublié des années 50 (« pôle de développement ») à son émergence en 2000 dans le langage économique anglais (« cluster ») puis sa dissémination à travers les domaines (industriel, informatique… enfin épidémiologique). Cette circulation peut selon lui créer des pertes de mémoire conceptuelle. https://nda.observatoireplurilinguisme.eu/ https://www.observatoireplurilinguisme.eu/dossiers-thematiques/culture-et-industries-culturelles/177778558-les-mots-pour-le-dire

Three terminologists (Paula Zorrilla - Cdt, Ninetta Kapetanaki - DGT and Ingrid Swinnen – SG Council), one team composed a collection of COVID-terms (scientific, communicational, institutional, financial) in emergency. 276 +71 fiches ready for translation in IATE (latest update on the base). The collaborative project is illustrated, with more coming as we edge towards “deconfinement”

with Roxana ENCIU (DGT.S.1). DGT has been supporting the Commission's COVID-19 fast track decision-making since early March. Hear about crisis management across the entire Commission with round the clock engagement of duty officers, duty translators and Senior managers in direct contact with the policy services. Roxana gives us an early feedback on this high emergency period. https://dgtradiolingvistika.podomatic.com/

with Z. Zakic, Advisor for language applications, LTC Coordinator Zoran explains the history behind the setting up of the LTC network in 2018, the IT and LT governance within the language departments and the many functions of the LTC: master trainers, fixers, but also involved in the Digital Skills Confidence Path and promoting machine translation in and out of DGT. Learn the cockpit effect where a text is a text is a text. Hear about ongoing challenges for our translators.

The EU spends enormous amounts to external consultants, sums that are increasing exponentially, while the institutions are continuously reducing their staff. Is the money well spent? Does it perhaps more harm than benefit for the taxpayers, because of various conflicts of interests? Wouldn’t it better to have done the tasks by internal staff? Many Members of the European Parliament doubt. Even the Court of Auditors examines the question.

La département français a exécuté un travail d’Hercule en rédigeant le Guide de rédaction de la Commission. Ce n’est point une simple traduction du Commission Style Guide, mais un guide propre au français avec 12 règles d'or de la rédaction en français, 10 principes de rédaction claire et beaucoup d’autres choses.

n a crisis as the COVID-pandemic, antisemitism and hate against other minorities spreads as fast as the virus. We speak with the EC coordinator on combating antisemitism to hear, what the Commission does on the field, and with researcher Natalia Knoblock (Michigan) to learn, what linguistic research can do to determine whether we deal with hate speech or simple expression of an opinion.

The European Central Bank will decide in spring whether to consider the launch of a digital Euro. This complex project would facilitate payments, but could also shake the foundations of the financial system.

Cyprus is the last divided EU Member State with occupation by a third country. Andreas Mavroyiannis, Greek Cypriot Chief Negotiator, till recently UN Permanent representative of the Republic of Cyprus, and our DDG, Christos Ellinides, explain what led to the current situation and look at the prospects for the reunification of the island. The negotiations are due for a relaunch in April.

Rail is a sustainable, safe and broad connecting network, with an underused potential for long distance cross border travel. The goals of the Single European Rail Area, says Maurizio Castelletti (DG MOVE) are enshrined in the Green Deal. By 2030, all EU capitals will be connected, thanks to improved infrastructure and services. We will boost rail freight along the 9 core European corridors, reaching out to the Western Balkans and beyond. In 2021, we will celebrate our cultural heritage and the shift to a slower, comfortable style of mobility. https://europa.eu/year-of-rail/index_en Decision(EU) 2020/2228

The success of the European Green Deal depends on a broad public commitment to climate action. The Climate Pact is the essential tool to build trust and engagement from business, citizens, NGOs and local authorities. Elena Višnar Malinovská (DG CLIMA) explains. https://europa.eu/climate-pact/index_en

Jorge Valero, EU Correspondent, analyses the conclusions of the European Council on 10.12.2020. What is conditionality for the implementation of the EU Budget and Recovery Plan: sound financial management, macroeconomic conditionality, rule of law? Can he make it simple ?

​Xavier Dupret, économiste, analyse les enjeux du libre échange entre l'Afrique et l'Union européenne aujourd'hui et lève sur le voile sur les négociations en cours.

J. Valero, EU Correspondent, fears the EU suffers from excessive self-absorption and risks missing out on critical digital, environmental and geopolitical challenges. https://www.euractiv.com/section/all/news/the-brief-powered-by-bp-the-collective-intelligence-we-need/ https://on.ft.com/3kUePSc https://english.elpais.com/economy_and_business/2020-11-02/the-euros-moment.html https://www.ceps.eu/why-the-eu-needs-a-geopolitical-commission/

Jorge Valero, EU Correspondent, presents the Commission's proposal for regulating systemic digital currencies and launch an open Digital Finance market by 2022 based on shared data. https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/leak-eu-to-create-superbody-of-watchdogs-to-oversee-digital-currencies/ https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/leak-commission-plans-new-revolution-for-open-finance-in-2022/ https://on.ft.com/3ifXS3n

Jorge Valero, EU Correspondent, reviews the reasons for the current deadlock in the negotiations over the EU long term budget and recovery plan.

with Jorge Valero, EU Correspondent Taxation is one of these areas where Member States must agree by unanimity. J. Valero presents the current state of play which looks a bit like a ping pong game between the EU, the Member States and international fora (OECD). Background: https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/europeans-to-pass-national-digital-tax-by-end-2020-if-no-oecd-deal/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/18/spain-digital-services-tax https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/22/us/politics/digital-tax-economy-europe-united-states.html

With Jorge Valero, Eu Correspondent J. Valero presents the package of emergency measures adopted end March/early April by the Eurogroup and the European Council. And the options for a Recovery package on the table of EUCO this 23 April, between recovery bonds and the upgrade of the Multiannual Financial Framework. References: https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/eurogroup-agrees-on-e540-billion-corona-package/ https://www.euractiv.com/section/future-eu/news/michel-eus-way-of-working-is-too-slow/ https://on.ft.com/2VrKwJ4

In late 2019, the Commission started pondering on a review of state aids and antitrust rules, in order to better support the European priorities (Green Deal, Digital Europe and now, the post COVID recovery). Updated rules in the digital and global environment (“market relevance”) could boost efforts to restore a level-playing field for EU companies and facilitate public support for green investment and innovative sectors. J. Valero, EU Correspondent, explains.

avec Sandro Gozi, eurodéputé (groupe Renaissance) Sandro Gozi fait le point sur les avancées majeures qui ont été approuvées par le Conseil européen fin mars. « Un vieux monde est fini », dit il, il faut lever les derniers obstacles pour une réponse coordonnée à l’urgence sanitaire et une relance de l »économie. Voir l’appel lancé par des philosophes et signé par de hautes personnalités européennes : http://www.cesue.eu/en/appeal

Avec Xavier DUPRET, Economiste X. Dupret analyse l’accord commercial avec Mercosur, les justes inquiétudes (concurrence avec les petits producteurs européens) et les inquiétudes injustifiés quant au respect des normes sanitaires et phytosanitaires. Si ces dernières sont contraignantes, ce n’est pas le cas des normes environnementales (déforestation etc.). Références: https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/mercosur https://www.lesechos.fr/idees-debats/cercle/pourquoi-il-faut-defendre-laccord-ue-mercosur-1131033 Accord UE-Mercosur : Le nouveau combat wallon? Mercosur : les gagnants ne seront pas ceux que l'on croit Qu'est-ce que l'accord UE-Mercosur qui inquiète tant les agriculteurs ?

Marie-Ange Schellekens,chercheur et auteur de « L’Union européenne et les défis de l’Arctique:l’apport de la politique intégrée de l’UE pour l’Arctique », explique la région, entre développement et préservation. Mythe autant que donnée géographique, c’est un laboratoire pour une politique globale de l'environnement et une politique européenne intégrée à définir. https://ec.europa.eu/luxembourg/news/politique-arctique-lue-lance-une-consultation-sur-la-future-approche-en-la-mati%C3%A8re_fr

« L'endettement dans le monde, de l'euphorie à l'inquiétude » est une réédition d’un ouvrage de 1989. Trente ans plus tard, la dette mondiale atteint des niveaux sans précédent (240% du PIB mondial fin 2019, plus encore aux Etats unis, en Chine et au Japon). Il existe de bonnes et de mauvaises dettes, au regard des conditions de souscription, de l’objectif poursuivi et de l’évolution du PIB (la « croissance »). Y. Gazzo espère une sortie rapide de la crise sanitaire et une relance massive et solidaire de l’économie en Europe. Ce qui implique de repenser nos cadres de pensée en faveur d’une croissance soutenable et plus structurante en Europe. http://dacres.fr/livre_la_spirale_de_l_endettement.html

Jorge Valero, EU Correspondent, recaps the Eurogroup's meeting of 9 July and the election of a new president. More about this secretive body is in a soul-searching path to find its relevance in the post-corona crisis.

Elie Cavigneaux,collaborateur de Gilles de Kerchove,Coordinateur européen du contre terrorisme auprès du Conseil, évoque le trafic de biens culturels et ses liens avec des circuits de revente peu soupçonnables qui alimentent les milieux terroristes. Que peut faire l’UE contre l’importation de biens culturels volés? https://theantiquitiescoalition.org/understanding-the-problem/interactive-maps/

Luis Romero Requena, directeur du Service juridique de la Commission européenne, commente l’actualité budgétaire (le cadre financier pluriannuel, juridique (l’arrêt du tribunal de Karlsruhe) et politique (le Brexit)à la lumière de sa longue expérience des institutions.

Elie Cavigneaux, Conseiller auprès de Gilles de Kerchove, coordinateur européen du contre terrorisme, explique ses missions essentielles et ses priorités, de la sécurité des citoyens à la prévention de la radicalisation, y compris en ligne, à la coopération internationale. Ref. : https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/fight-against-terrorism/counter-terrorism-coordinator/ https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents-publications/library/library-blog/posts/foreign-fighters-in-the-islamic-caliphate/

Date : 4.06.2020 Jorge Valero, EU Correspondent, presents the key features of the Commission proposal on 27 May, second fiscal package after the COVID-19 response of April. An unprecedented attempt to address the expected economic downturn linked to confinement. Find out why. In podcast only.

Anu Bradford, Prof. Columbia Un. The phrase, now part of European lore, is the title of a 2020 book that challenges the theories of European decline. A. Bradford argues that the EU, largest trading bloc in the world, is a global regulatory hegemon. EU legal norms using market forces alone prevail in international trade, with a quick take-up by multinational companies. More about how soft power is a winner and warnings for those who would "take back control" alone. The Brussels Effect

Jorge Valero, EU Correspondent, analyses Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union speech on 16.09 and reviews comments in the "bubble".

Following the EUCO deal of 21 July on both MFF and the Recovery plan, Marco Lopriore, expert with EIPA, looks into the challenges of conditionality and fast implementation for the Member States.

Jorge Valero, EU Correspondent, explains why the last European Summit came to a historical breakthrough for Europe. The massive stimulus pact agreed on 21 July amounts to more than 17% GDP, all institutional initiatives included, and aims to be a relevant response to the COVID downturn. With some downsides of course.

La politique de concurrence européenne suscite des critiques et de grandes attentes. Le 8.10, Olivier Guersent, Dr Général, explique la permanence de ses missions mais également sa capacité à répondre aux priorités (santé publique ou transition énergétique et numérique). Sans avoir vocation à se substituer à une politique fiscale européenne, peut-elle constituer un outil d'autonomie pour l'UE? Doit-elle s'adapter à la nouvelle donne mondiale? Réponses attendues à la lumière des jurisprudences récentes et d’un Livre blanc soumis à consultation publique https://ec.europa.eu/competition/international/overview/foreign_subsidies.html