Article – Interpreters: walking a tightrope
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
What makes a good translator might be open to interpretation, but it's clear what translates into being a good interpreter. Interpreters are quite simply the European Parliament's tightrope walkers. Always performing under pressure, they need to find the right balance between speed and accuracy. But if they fail, there is no safety net to catch them. Let's take a look back-stage at these linguistic daredevils.
Source : © European Union, 2012 – EP
If what people speak in the Hellenic Republic is like Greek to you, spare a thought for the European Parliament's unsung heroes. While most people already struggle to order a beer on holiday abroad, the translators at the Parliament routinely use anything from three to eight languages a day. They make sure that Dutch doesn't turn into double Dutch and that nothing gets lost in translation. As today is Mother Language Day, we take a look at the professionals who are never at a loss for words.
This week there are no official parliamentary meetings scheduled in Brussels to give MEPs the chance to return to their home country and get in touch with their constituents. In addition it will be a busy week for Parliamentary delegations visiting countries in and outside the EU, with the highlight being EP president Martin Schulz going to Italy from Thursday to Sunday.
The upcoming presidential elections in Russia is being closely monitored by the European Parliament after last year's parliamentary elections there were marred by allegations of fraud and irregularities. On 16 February MEPs adopted a resolution calling on Russia to carry out reforms to strengthen democracy and allow free and fair elections. But what causes the Parliament to be so concerned?
MEPs often feel tickled pink and sometimes might see red, but they never have a reason to feel off colour about the way their calendar is organised. Weeks in the Parliamentary calendar are coded with a colour to indicate that period's particular activities and working methods. For example, this week has been marked turquoise to indicate MEPs will mostly be working in their home constituencies. Let's bring you up to date with what all the colours stand for in the European Parliament's calendar.
Eurobonds, food aid, a trade agreement with Morocco, Euro transfers and blind people's access to books were some of the issues discussed by MEPs during the February plenary session. MEPs also received Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and debated the situation in Syria and voted on the situation in Russia and Hungary, among many other topics.
The European Parliament has a history of calling attention to flagrant violations of human rights across the world at each Strasbourg plenary session. This week for example it will discuss the situation in Belarus, Egypt and Japan. These debates have helped to raise awareness and incite the governments involved to change their act. We find out more about their importance from Barbara Lochbihler, the chair of the sub-committee on human rights.
MEPs have called Eurobonds a source of stability for the Eurozone in the medium term in a resolution approved on Wednesday. The resolution also welcomes the European Commission's green paper on Eurobonds, which was published last year in response to several Eurozone countries having to pay high interest rates to borrow on the international markets. But what are these bonds actually all about?
Italian PM Mario Monti received a standing ovation from MEPs when he spoke to them about the economic reforms in his country at the plenary meeting in Strasbourg. Most MEPs welcomed his speech and his work so far to put the Mediterranean country's economy back on tracks. Other speakers emphasised the need to promote growth alongside cuts and insisted on a European response to the crisis.
Mobile internet is set to hit dizzying speeds after MEPs approved today a proposal to free up radio frequencies for their use.
MEPs will be battling it out this afternoon over a controversial EU agreement with Morocco to liberalise trade in agriculture and fisheries. Supporters praise it as a chance to strengthen relations and stimulate the economy, but critics have dismissed it as a threat to small farmers. As MEPs prepare to debate it today and vote on it on Thursday, we gave two members on opposite sides of the issue the chance to explain why they feel so strongly about it.
MEPs will this afternoon question the European Commission about its discussion paper on issuing eurobonds to help struggling euro zone members finance their debt. This possibility was explored in a so-called green paper published by the Commission last year in response to several Eurozone countries having to pay high interest rates to borrow on the international markets. Tomorrow Parliament will also vote on a resolution regarding eurobonds.
The Commission's strategy for boosting Europe's economy this year will be closely scrutinised by MEPs on Wednesday. The annual growth survey sets out the Commission's priorities for economic and budgetary policies for the coming 12 months. MEPs will debate it and then vote on three resolutions.
Making bank payments across the EU can often be bothersome and costly, however new rules to be discussed by MEPs today could soon change all that. If the report gets approved, eurozone banks would be required to treat credit transfers as nearly the same as domestic payments from 1 February 2014 on. This should make them cheaper, faster and safer . We spoke to Finnish MEP Sari Essayah, who is responsible for steering the legislation through Parliament.
This week MEPs will gather in Strasbourg to debate issues and vote on proposals affecting all Europeans during the plenary session. It is when months of preparatory work by the political groups and parliamentary committees finally come to a head. But how does it actually work? How do they decide on what to debate and vote on and how do they make sure all views are heard when there are more than 750 MEPs? All that and more will be revealed in this five-minute guide to plenary proceedings.
MEPs will during the February plenary session debate how to boost employment, especially among the young, vote on a food aid scheme for European citizens in need, and discuss the situation in Syria. Other topics include EP priorities for the European Council on 1-2 March, the upcoming elections in Russia and political developments in Hungary. In addition there will be a debate with Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti on Wednesday at 1500h CET.
Growing unemployment especially among the young has been one of the worst consequences of the current economic crisis. Youth unemployment has risen to an unprecedented high level, especially in Eastern and Southern Europe, as can be seen in the infographic. This Wednesday MEPs will discuss what can be done to boost employment and kick-start the economy.
Egypt is slowly working on becoming a fully-fledged democracy after the Arab spring caused Hosni Mubarak's 30-year regime to crumble last year. The EU has been keen to help the process in any way possible. We spoke to James Moran, the new EU head of delegation to Egypt, about the challenges facing Egypt and the role the EU should play.
European consumers could soon take up their place at the heart of the Single Market. The Commission is proposing a reinforcement of their rights, an online dispute resolution system, better education tools and more funding for European Consumer Centres. On Monday it presented its consumer agenda for 2014-2020 to the EP's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee. We spoke to French liberal Robert Rochefort, who is responsible for steering the legislation through Parliament.
After the widely followed January plenary debate with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the Civil Liberties Committee is holding a public hearing on Thursday to assess the civil rights situation in the country.
Renewable energy goes easy on the planet, comes without terrifying safety risks, and is by definition never-ending, so why are we not using it more of it? The EU wants renewable energies to account for 20% of Europe's needs by 2020, but for this many obstacles still need to be overcome. A new study on the European Renewable Energy Network sets out how to transform the electricity grid so that more renewable energy can be used and stored.
As Iceland continues to make good progress in its efforts to become the EU's latest member, interest in the tiny Nordic country is heating up. Yes, we all know about its many geysers, its erupting volcanoes and the quirky singer Björk. However, there is a lot more worth knowing about this island state. As the EP's foreign affairs committee adopted a motion for a resolution on its 2011 progress report on Monday, we take the opportunity to present you with five fascinating facts about Iceland.
The EU should work together with emerging countries such as China and India to build a multi-polar, inclusive system of global governance that deals efficiently with global challenges. MEPs have adopted a report that points out that the EU shares a common interest with these countries in tackling global instability and security risks to economic development.
He is known for asking tough questions, but this time it will be your opportunity to question him. Nigel Farage, the leader of the Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group, will chat with EP's Facebook fans on Wednesday 8 February at 1600 CET.
Dictators should no longer be able to bank on the EU to safeguard their ill-gotten gains for them. That is the message from MEPs who have adopted a resolution calling for Member States to stop providing safe havens for the personal fortunes of leaders of authoritarian regimes. They claim the EU is currently being inconsistent as it imposes sanctions on tyrants while at the same time allowing them to stash their riches in European banks.
Guimarães in Portugal and Maribor in Slovenia will host a wealth of cultural events this year as European capitals of culture for 2012. Throughout the year art lovers will be able to enjoy anything from opera to contemporary dance, classical and popular music, film, theatre, visual arts, literature and architecture. Not only is this a chance for the two cities to show what they offer, it will also help to raise their profile and attract more investment and tourism.
As reserves of fossil fuels decline and the world tries to tackle the problems of greenhouse gases, the EU wants to shift to a low carbon economy. On Tuesday MEPs on the Environment Committee called for improvements to the emissions trading system (ETS) to help meet EU targets for a minimum reduction of 80% in CO2 emissions by 2050.
The EP is calling on the Commission and member states to do more to tackle violence against women and young people. Up to a quarter of women and young people in Europe are estimated to have experienced physical violence. Today the EP voted in favour of a report arguing for more action and for more support for the Daphne programme, the only EU programme seeking to combat violence against children, young people and women.
EU support in peace processes should be made conditional on women participating in negotiations. That is one of the conclusions of a report on women's situation in war by Romanian Liberal Norica Nicolai. The report proposes several measures to help reinforce the position of women in war-torn countries and to reduce sexual violence against them. The report will be voted on Thursday.
MEPs singled out employment and the relaunch of the economy as being vital to the EU's future in a debate about the results of Monday's European Council meeting. Commission President José Manuel Barroso and EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy came under fire from MEPs across the political spectrum for failing to do enough to kick-start Europe's economy and help create jobs.
The EU agreed last week on sanctions on oil imported from Iran to force the country back to the negotiating table and prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. As MEPs prepared to discuss the issue, we spoke to Tarja Cronberg, chair of the EP delegation for relations with Iran. The Finnish Green stressed the need for negotiations: "The problem is that the EU mistrusts the Iranians and the Iranians mistrust the Europeans, but it is necessary because the alternative is war."
While promoting sports is mainly up to individual countries, the EU should initiate measures against doping, match-fixing and violence in sports stadia, Spanish Christian Democrat Santiago Fisas Ayxela says in a report, to be debated Wednesday and voted Thursday in plenary in Brussels.
In the wake of last week's signature of the ACTA Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement by 22 EU countries and EU representatives, public interest has turned to the role of the European Parliament. The EP cannot change the text of the agreement, Chair of the International Trade Committe Vital Moreira explains, it can say yes or no, withhold agreement it or ask the Court of Justice to check it.
Last week all of parliament's committees met in Brussels to elect chairs and vice-chairs for the coming two and a half years until the end of the current legislature in June 2014.
The financial crisis continues to dominate and MEPs will give their feedback on the fiscal union summit that took place on Monday. They will also discuss the introduction of eurobonds, meant to help stabilize euro zone countries, when they meet in plenary in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday.