While acknowledging efforts of the authorities of the Netherlands to comply with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the evaluation by the Committee of Experts of the Implementation of the Recommendations for Immediate Action contained in the Committee’s seventh evaluation report on the Netherlands points out further actions to be taken to improve the use of minority languages.

The report, adopted last week by the Committee of Experts, inter alia, encourages the authorities to:

• Prepare a strategy for Limburgish and one for Low Saxon to ensure the teaching and study of these languages as a subject at all levels of education and to promote their use in pre-school education;
• Set up bodies responsible for representing the respective interests of speakers of Limburgish, Low Saxon, Romanes and Yiddish at national level;
• Seize the opportunity of the ongoing update of learning standards and in this context, raise awareness about culture and history of Romanes speakers in the general curriculum.