The Problem of Multilingualism in European Law

INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 1 The Problem of Multilingualism in European Law Altinova Fotima Pahlavon qizi Lecturer at Andijan State Medical Institute Andijan, Uzbekistan Tel: +99891 4901290 Email: [email protected] Abstract The article analyzes language issues in European law and the principle of multilingualism. It examines the problems arising in the translation of legal documents and their impact on legal certainty. Keywords: European law, language issues, multilingualism, legal translation. The legal system of the European Union (EU) poses numerous challenges for legal practitioners, one of which is multilingualism. All legal acts and measures must be drafted in the EU’s 24 official languages. Although this is not the first example of a multilingual legal system, it is certainly the most extensive one. The idea behind this choice—namely, using all national official languages as official EU languages—is to promote the democratic principle within the European Union. The possibility of using one’s national language is an essential tool for communication between EU citizens and institutions. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in the effective exercise of the rights conferred by the EU Treaties. Article 24 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) grants every citizen the right to address EU institutions in any of the official EU languages and to receive a reply in the same language. This right constitutes an integral part of the democratic principle, as it aims to establish stable communication between INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 2 citizens and the EU. If citizens were obliged to use a foreign language, this right would remain purely theoretical. The use of one’s mother tongue facilitates effective communication with EU institutions. The same applies to the right to lodge a complaint with the European Ombudsman (Article 228 TFEU) and the right to submit a petition to the European Parliament (Article 227 TFEU). Furthermore, all legally binding acts addressed to the general public must be drafted in all official languages. This rule protects citizens’ right to understand the law, allowing everyone to rely on it directly and effectively. The Court of Justice of the EU has clearly stated that EU binding measures have no legal effect on citizens of a Member State until they are published in the Official Journal in that state’s official language. Promoting the democratic principle through the use of mother tongues entails practical and economic difficulties related to the translation and interpretation of all EU legal obligations and general measures. In practice, EU institutions use a limited group of working languages (usually English, French, and German), and initial drafts of legal acts are prepared in one of these languages. However, transferring legal concepts into multiple languages is not an automatic process. Each legal concept has a specific meaning that may not exist at all in another legal system. Translation must be as precise as possible: the resulting text is not merely a translation but an authentic version of the act. The existence of several equally authentic versions may raise interpretative concerns for legal professionals. According to the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, all authentic language versions are equally authoritative. Therefore, when interpreting provisions of an international convention, all linguistic versions must be taken into account, and a meaning acceptable to all versions must be sought (Article 33 of the Convention). Typically, international conventions are drafted in no more than three languages. INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 3 The United Nations has six official languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese). In contrast, the European Union’s 24 official languages present a significant challenge. At the same time, no national legal or linguistic tradition can prevail over others, as such an approach would be discriminatory and could endanger the uniform interpretation and application of EU law. For this reason, an autonomous interpretation of EU law has been adopted. Since the European Union constitutes a distinct legal system independent of national jurisdictions, its law cannot be subordinated to national traditions or legal categories, nor can it be interpreted in accordance with national law. EU law has its own meaning, which may depend on a comparison of linguistic versions and a comparative legal approach to the terms and expressions used in those versions. Moreover, judgments of the Court of Justice have erga omnes effect, meaning they are binding not only on the referring court but also on all relevant authorities. In this context, a common lingua franca could be highly useful. English appears to be a natural choice, as it is the language of economics, increasingly relevant in international relations, and the most frequently used language for translating national legislation, case law, and legal practice. In highly technical fields such as competition law, where complex legal, economic, and factual issues are at stake, knowledge of multiple languages helps courts perform their functions effectively. Regulation No. 1/2003 and Directive 2014/104/EU require cooperation between various authorities. National courts may need to cooperate with the European Commission, familiarize themselves with decisions of foreign national competition authorities, and consider cases pending before foreign courts. Therefore, all these actors must have a common linguistic tool for cooperation while also being aware of the risks associated with its INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 4 use. Literal translation from a national language into English may be misleading when cooperating with foreign authorities or judges whose mother tongue is not English. Furthermore, English is the language of the common law system. However, within the European Union, it is primarily used in civil law systems of the Member States. This has led to the development of a specific form of English used by non-native speakers within the EU. This trend moves toward simplification, whereby technical legal terms in English may lose their original meaning and acquire new meanings associated with traditional technical terms and expressions. References 1. Mirziyoyev, Sh. M. The Concept for the Development of the State Language and Improvement of Language Policy for 2020–2030. 2. Mother Tongue – State Language. Tashkent: Adolat, 2004. 3. Jumakhoja, N. A. Independence and Our Mother Tongue. Tashkent: Sharq, 1998. 4. Mahmudov, N. Culture of Teacher’s Speech. Textbook. National Library of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 2009.