The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has just published its report on the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in Switzerland and recommendations to the authorities, together with the response from the Swiss Government.

The report highlights recent positive developments concerning the Part III languages – Italian and Romansh. The Council of Europe experts welcomed the encouraging situation of Romansh in education and media. However, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe recommends proactive measures to be taken in order to prevent that municipality mergers in Graubünden/Grischun/Grigioni Canton reduce the use of Romansh in the near future. Concerning Italian in the Canton of Graubünden/Grischun/Grigioni, the experts pointed out the persisting problems in cantonal administration and in the public sector under the control of the canton. Therefore, the Committee of Ministers invites the Swiss authorities to strengthen the presence of Italian in the public sphere of the canton. The Council of Europe experts note that a structured policy is needed to guarantee the protection and promotion of French and German as Part II languages as far as they constitute minority languages in the officially bilingual cantons. The authorities are also invited to apply Part II of the Charter to Franco-Provençal. The experts highlight furthermore that support for new projects is necessary for the protection and promotion of the local Walser German dialect and culture in Bosco-Gurin, in the canton of Ticino. As a general evaluation, the report acknowledges the significant steps that Switzerland has taken to implement most of the undertakings ratified. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages entered into force in Switzerland in April 1998.