Languages are a fundamental aspect of people’s lives and the democratic functioning of society.

In response to the needs identified in or by its member states, the Council of Europe has been working over the past few decades to compile a set of resources made available to education authorities and professionals and benefiting all Europe’s citizens (see milestones).

Some of the end products have been widely distributed beyond Europe. The objectives of the Language policy Programme form part of the broader role and goals of the Council of Europe (in the context of the European Cultural Convention), concerning in particular the rights of individuals, social inclusion and cohesion, intercultural understanding and equal access to quality education.

Language learners/users lie at the heart of the work of the Language Policy Programme. Whatever their status, all languages are covered: foreign languages, major languages of schooling (used for learning/teaching at school), languages spoken in the family and minority or regional languages. A specific programme focuses on the linguistic integration of migrants (adults and young people, and also refugees).

The analytical tools and working aids that have been produced, together with the studies and reference material that have been made available, are all based on respect for and acknowledgement of linguistic plurality and cultural diversity. Many of them concentrate on the development of and conditions for implementing plurilingual and intercultural education.

This work has now resulted in a multitude of resources, available on this portal and on dedicated thematic websites.

The Language Policy Programme is related to the work of the Education Department which is part of the Directorate of Democratic Participation within the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity ("DGII") of the Council of Europe.