From 1st January, Barroso’s Executive has entrusted the multilingualism area to the new Rumanian commissioner Leonard Orban. "For the EU explains a note from Parliament , multilingualism is a key factor" to integrate peoples and states. The 27-member EU, therefore, "supports and promotes this policy through different actions and plans, in order to improve the language standards of the European citizens". One of these plans is the Erasmus, "which will turn twenty this year" and which so far has seen over one million 200 thousand students take part in the scheme". "In addition, we must not forget that 2001 was the European Year of Languages and that 26th September is the European Day of Languages". In order to allow for such "cultural diversity" while also guaranteeing equality, "the interpreters and translators’ work is essential. Strange enough says the news service of the Assembly , the cost of this essential work does not exceed 1% of the global budget of the EU", considering for example that nearly one and a half million pages of acts, floor and commission discussions and working documents are translated every year. ” ” ” “
