Facilitating or generating linguistic diversity: The European charter for regional or minority languages

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) was drawn up by the Council of Europe (CoE), which is an entirely separate body from the European Union (EU). The CoE was established in 1949 in the aftermath of Second World War and its 44 member states (including the 15 EU members) are committed to principles of democracy and human rights. Some CoE states have applied for membership of the EU. For members such as Hungary, Malta or Iceland or those currently establishing themselves, such as the new Slav states of Central and Eastern Europe, participation in the CoE is especially significant as it offers international affirmation of their status and is evidence of their wish to be viewed as countries with liberal credentials (Mundy 1997: 70–1).