President pushes for EU recognition for Catalan in Brussels talks

Catalonia is committed to strengthening all policies to promote the learning and use of Catalan, President Salvador Illa said in Brussels on Thursday.

"The game is still on," Illa said, a day after the publication of a major survey on language use in Catalonia showed a decline in the number of Catalan speakers.

The government is to invest €8.8 million in a new action plan to increase the number of Catalan language courses and places throughout Catalonia, as announced earlier on Thursday.

The minister for language policy "has already rolled out a full plan to move forward, and the goal is to do so with the maximum possible consensus from all the major parties in parliament," Illa told the media.

"We understand that the institutions of Catalonia must work to improve the use of the Catalan language, and that is what we will do," he added.

Catalan in the EU

Illa was speaking after a meeting with António Costa, president of the European Council, during which they discussed the efforts to secure official status for Catalan in the EU. 

Costa was "receptive but prudent," according to Illa, who added that he had invited the European Council president to visit Catalonia.

The Socialist leader said it was "a matter of linguistic justice" that the Spanish government's request to grant official EU language status to Catalan, Basque, and Galician be addressed, adding that he made clear he was available to support in any way.

Costa "listened to me," Illa said, "and I saw a receptive and understandably cautious attitude, because this is a matter that is by no means simple."

Illa is also meeting with the vice-president of the European Commission, Teresa Ribera on Thursday, as well as speaking at the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions.