The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has reported some progress in Switzerland’s implementation of the Charter but has also invited the authorities to take additional measures.

In its latest report on Switzerland, the committee notes that the school inspectorate in the Canton of Graubünden/Grischun/Grigioni periodically monitors Italian and Romansh-language education, in line with its recommendations.

However, the authorities are invited to take additional measures to promote the use of Italian in economic and social life, given the importance of this field in daily life.

The same recommendation applies to Romansh which should be better promoted in the public sector. In particular, the committee calls on the authorities to pay special attention to activities in economic and social life when implementing the “Strategia digitala rumantscha”, including the use of Romansh by federal public service providers.

Concerning the municipality of Murten/Morat, Canton of Fribourg/Freiburg, the report regrets that cantonal and/or local legislation on the use of French in public life was not adopted. The committee acknowledges the municipality’s efforts to participate in call for projects on initiatives promoting bilingualism, to develop services for French speakers and to offer early learning of French, but also stresses the need to prepare a strategy on the promotion of French in Murten/Morat.

Finally, the report reiterates the need to adopt cantonal and/or local legislation on the use of German in public life in municipalities where German is traditionally a non-official minority or majority language. In most of these municipalities located at the French/German language border and in the Canton of Ticino, German continues to be taught as a foreign language only. The committee therefore recalls its recommendation to make German language education available from pre-school to secondary levels.