Despite efforts, further measures are needed in Austria to strengthen the minority languages covered by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), according to a report published today by the Expert Committee that monitors Charter adherence. The Charter - which entered into force in Austria in 2001 - covers the following minority languages in Austria: Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Hungarian, Romani, Slovak and Slovenian. The report evaluates progress on the recommendations "for immediate action" since the adoption in 2023 of a comprehensive "fifth round" appraisal.
The report acknowledges the steps taken: from updated curricula for Hungarian and Croatian in bilingual schools, to online bilingual German-Slovenian forms among other examples. But the new report includes further measures for the Austrian authorities to take into account when implementing the recommendations "for immediate action".
Further steps are also needed to implement the broad recommendation to "promote awareness throughout the country" for all the applicable languages and their respective cultures "as an integral part of the cultural heritage in Austria in mainstream education an in the media."
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is the Council of Europe's convention designed to protect and promote states parties' traditional regional or minority languages and enable speakers of these languages to use them in both private and public life. Its implementation is monitored by an independent Committee of Experts. The treaty entered into force on 1 March 1998 and is now in force in 25 states.
