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Nota 23rd June 2009

On 23rd June 2009, the Languages Council held its second meeting, chaired by the Secretary of State for Territorial Cooperation, Gaspar Zarrías Arévalo.

Meeting contents

The 2008 Report for Central Government’s Official Languages Office was presented to the Council, in accordance with article 8.3 of Royal Decree 905/2007. The report was compiled following consultations with Government Delegations and Ministries and other organisations particularly affected.

The report revealed a series of significant improvements and advances made in 2008 regarding the use of official languages in Central Government and, specifically, in the areas of legislation, linguistic training of employees, printed documentation, forms, posters, notices and signposts, and in relation to Central Government webpages. Examples of good practices are the actions carried out by the Government Agency for the Official State Bulletin, the Directorate General of Traffic, Civil, Property and Trade Registries, the National Institute of Public Administration, the Government Agency for Tax Administration and Social Security administrations.

Specific reports were presented by the Directors of the National Institute of Public Administration and the Government Agency for the Official State Bulletin, about their situation and actions in relation to joint official languages. Reports were also presented by representatives of all the Ministerial Departments present on the Council regarding compliance with Act 11/2007, of 22nd June, regarding electronic access for citizens to public services: the status of their respective webpages regarding the target that as many contents as possible should be available in all official languages as of 31st December.

The Council agreed to adopt the recommendations formulated in the 2008 Report presented at the meeting by the Official Languages Office, which can be summarised as follows:

- Promote, expand and improve training for Central Government employees in joint official languages.

- Ensure full accessibility in joint official languages for the webpages of all Ministries and affiliated public organisations, and enforce the rights of citizens to use joint official languages in their relations with Central Government through electronic channels (Act 11/2007).

- Complete the process of translation into joint official languages of all printed documentation and standardised forms used for central government services in Autonomous Regions with a joint official language.

- Compile from the Ministries the information required for the Official Languages Office to put together its annual report.