France pushes back against English-first EU trade deals

BRUSSELS — France is opposing the European Commission's plan to expedite trade agreements with Indonesia and India by using English-language texts prior to full translation into the EU's 23 official languages, according to insiders. Brussels proposed an "English-first" approach in February, enabling member states and the European Parliament to endorse the English version of trade deals instead of waiting for translations into other languages.

The language dispute could undermine the EU's efforts to expand its trading partnerships beyond the U.S. and China. A French official, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasized the importance of equal treatment for all EU languages, including French. The European Commission believes the English version would reduce the time needed to finalize the trade deals by nearly a year.

France, which has historically championed the French language in international diplomacy, views the issue as sensitive, especially as Euroskeptic and protectionist sentiments gain traction ahead of presidential elections. The concern extends beyond procedural matters, as it raises questions about trade, language, and national prestige, potentially benefiting populist parties.

However, Italy's initial objection has since been dropped. France insists that voting on an English-only version would violate the EU's multilingualism principle. The Indonesian agreement, which Indonesia will lose its Generalized Scheme of Preferences status for in early 2024, has been pending since late June, with one of the final steps being a vote by EU ambassadors.

Despite the urgency, both the France and Indonesia cases are being addressed at a technical level and are not anticipated to block the deals.