Languages open doors

The International Annual Meeting on Language Arrangements, Documentation and Publications (IAMLADP) warned that a global shortage of qualified linguists will mean that some international organizations will be unable to perform vital tasks in future.

Commissioner Vassiliou said: "The European Commission is committed to supporting efforts to encourage language learning in schools and universities, as part of our multilingualism policy. We need to get the message across to parents and young people that languages open doors and linguists have excellent career prospects."

The Commission was represented at the IAMLADP conference by Director General of Interpretation, Marco Benedetti and Acting Director General of Translation Piet Verleysen.