The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union (EU), provides, following consultation, directives, recommendations and funded initiatives for EU member state governments to adopt, adapted to the context of national legislation, policy and practice. 

The remit of the European Commission in formulating policy extends across many aspects of society.  The European Commission therefore develops policy relevant for many aspects of society, not just the education sector. 

Policy with relevance for languages and intercultural skills may be specific to the languages education sector, or generic, e.g. for higher education, skills, economic development etc.

Promoting languages
The European Commission believes that languages have a vital role to play in building a 'common home' in which 450 million Europeans can live, work and trade together. Learning other languages contributes to its goal of becoming 'the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world'.

The Commission regards the ability to understand and communicate in other languages as a basic skill for all European citizens. EU policies have been set out in:

• Teaching and Learning: toward the learning society (European Commission, 1995)
• Conclusions of the European Council Meeting, Barcelona (March 2002)

Promotional activities include the European Label initiative, known in the UK as the European Award for Languages and the 2001 European Year of Languages. Organised in collaboration with Member States and the Council of Europe, the Year resulted in a celebration held annually on 26 September, the European Day of Languages.

Commissioner for Multilingualism
In January 2007 there was appointed the first European Commissioner for Multilingualism. The Commissioner’s administrative responsibilities include:

• The Directorate General for Interpreting 
• The Directorate General for Translation 
• The Multilingualism Policy Unit within the Directorate General for Education and Culture

Other Directorate Generals occasionally also issue policy which has a direct bearing on languages and intercultural skills in and for the UK. 

There are three strands to the EU’s Multilingualism policy:

1. ensuring that citizens have access to EU legislation, procedures and information in their own language
2. underlining the major role that languages and multilingualism play in the European economy, and finding ways to develop this further
3. encouraging all citizens to learn and speak more languages, in order to improve mutual understanding and communication

Full details are on the Commissioner for Multilingualism website.