Overview

• Spain has circulated a new memorandum to the 26 other EU member states seeking unanimous approval for Catalan, Basque and Galician to become official EU languages
• The proposal reaffirms Spain’s commitment to cover all translation and interpretation expenses estimated at €132 million per year
• Madrid’s document introduces detailed eligibility criteria and contextual clarifications intended to prevent setting a precedent for other minority languages
• Implementation is planned in phases, beginning with regulations approved by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament starting in 2027
• A consensus vote is scheduled at the General Affairs Council meeting on July 18, with Germany, France, Italy, Cyprus, Austria, Sweden and Finland still voicing reservations