ETS 148 – Regional or Minority Languages, 5.XI.1992 __________________________________________________________________________________ i to allow, whenever a litigant has to appear in person before a court, that he or she may use his or her regional or minority language without thereby incurring additional expense; and/or iii to allow documents and evidence to be produced in the regional or minority languages, if necessary by the use of interpreters and translations; d 2 3 to take steps to ensure that the application of sub-paragraphs i and iii of paragraphs b and c above and any necessary use of interpreters and translations does not involve extra expense for the persons concerned. The Parties undertake: a not to deny the validity of legal documents drawn up within the State solely because they are drafted in a regional or minority language; or b not to deny the validity, as between the parties, of legal documents drawn up within the country solely because they are drafted in a regional or minority language, and to provide that they can be invoked against interested third parties who are not users of these languages on condition that the contents of the document are made known to them by the person(s) who invoke(s) it; or c not to deny the validity, as between the parties, of legal documents drawn up within the country solely because they are drafted in a regional or minority language. The Parties undertake to make available in the regional or minority languages the most important national statutory texts and those relating particularly to users of these languages, unless they are otherwise provided. Article 10 – Administrative authorities and public services 1 Within the administrative districts of the State in which the number of residents who are users of regional or minority languages justifies the measures specified below and according to the situation of each language, the Parties undertake, as far as this is reasonably possible: a b i to ensure that the administrative authorities use the regional or minority languages; or ii to ensure that such of their officers as are in contact with the public use the regional or minority languages in their relations with persons applying to them in these languages; or iii to ensure that users of regional or minority languages may submit oral or written applications and receive a reply in these languages; or iv to ensure that users of regional or minority languages may submit oral or written applications in these languages; or v to ensure that users of regional or minority languages may validly submit a document in these languages; to make available widely used administrative texts and forms for the population in the regional or minority languages or in bilingual versions; 7

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