On 7 September 2021, the Permanent Representative of Portugal to the Council of Europe, in the presence of the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in Strasbourg. The signing is to be followed by Portugal’s ratification of the Charter. The Charter will enter into force in Portugal after the deposit of the ratification instrument at the Council of Europe.

The Charter has been ratified by 25 states. A further nine states have now signed, but not yet ratified it. The Council of Europe regularly encourages states to ratify the Charter, which is the only treaty worldwide devoted to the promotion of traditional regional or minority languages.