Bill to use Spain's official languages before State bodies

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would let people who go to courts in a region with its own language use that language and receive notifications in it, without documents filed in that language needing to be translated into Spanish.
2. To work as a judge, prosecutor, court clerk or court staff in regions with their own language or civil law, the bill would require an official certificate proving sufficient knowledge of that language, at the level required of Group A1 civil servants in that region.
3. In dealings with the State's central administration, the bill would allow starting a procedure in any official language of an autonomous community, and that language would become the language of the procedure. Digital services would also have to work in the different official languages.
4. Civil servants who get a position in regions with their own language would have to prove knowledge of that language at the level required of staff in the same group in that region, whether through competitive openings, free designation or transfers.
5. The bill would add language criteria to public procurement in regions with two official languages, require music radio stations to reserve 15% of their programming in official languages other than Spanish, and create a fund for dubbing and subtitling audiovisual works in those languages.
6. On consumer matters, the bill would let regions with more than one official language require labeling to appear in their own language too, and require pre-contract information, warranties and package travel information to be given in the official language chosen by the consumer.

Who it affects

• People living in regions with their own language, such as Catalan, Galician or Basque: They could use their language before courts and the State's central administration and receive documents in it.
• Judges, prosecutors, court clerks and court staff: They would need to prove sufficient knowledge of the regional language to get positions in those regions.
• Civil servants and job applicants: They would have to prove knowledge of the regional language for positions, transfers or mobility in those regions.
• Companies that contract with the public sector or sell to consumers: They could be affected by language criteria in tenders and by labeling and information in more languages.
• Radio stations and TV platforms: They would have to reserve part of their programming or promote content in official languages other than Spanish.

Words worth knowing

Lengua cooficial

A language that, along with Spanish, is official in an autonomous community, such as Catalan, Galician or Basque.

Lengua vehicular

The language used as the main language for teaching school subjects.

Grupo A y Subgrupo A1

The highest level of Spanish civil servants, requiring a university degree.

Radiofórmula

A radio station with continuous programming, usually music, without hosted shows.

Pliego de cláusulas administrativas

The document setting out the conditions companies must meet to win a public contract.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries