President's welcome

EULITA, the European Legal Interpreters and Translators Association, was founded in Antwerp, Belgium, on 26 November 2009. This international not-for-profit association (aisbl) was established under the Criminal Justice Programme of the Directorate-General Justice, Freedom, Security of the European Commission (project number JLS/2007/JPEN/249). A two-day conference on “Aspects of Legal Interpreting and Translation”, attended by close to 300 participants from more than 30 countries, accompanied the official launch of EULITA at the Antwerp Court of First Instance.

EULITA aims to bring together in its membership as full members the professional associations and legal translators and spoken and sign-language legal interpreters in the EU member states as well as the general associations that include legal translators and spoken or sign-language legal interpreters among their membership. As associate members EULITA welcomes all interested organisations, institutions and individuals that are committed to the improvement of quality in legal interpreting and translation.

EULITA aims to represent the interests and concerns of the profession of legal interpreters and translators vis-à-vis European and international organisations and to support associations of legal translators and spoken and sign language interpreters vis-à-vis national authorities and institutions, to promote the establishment of associations of legal interpreters and translators in member states where as yet they do not exist, to promote close cooperation with academic institutions in the field of training and research and to encourage the establishment of national and EU-wide registers of qualified legal interpreters and translators, while at all times respecting the diversity of judicial systems and cultures.

EULITA is further committed to promoting quality in legal interpreting and translations through the recognition of the professional status of legal interpreters and translators, the exchange of information and best practices in training and continuous professional development and the organisation of events on issues such as training, research, professionalism, etc., thus promoting judicial cooperation and mutual trust by the member states in each other’s systems of legal interpreting and translations.

EULITA, finally, aims to promote cooperate and best practices in working arrangements with the legal services and legal professions. The Directive on the Right to Interpretation and Translation in Criminal Proceedings (OJ L 280/1 – see LIT materials / EU documents) was formally adopted on 26 October 2010, which leaves EU member states less than two years for the necessary transposition into national law. EULITA is playing an active role in this context, as it supports EU member states in the implementation of the Directive through its TRAFUT project (see TRAFUT – European Commission support letter). The TRAFUT project will contribute towards ensuring the practical functioning of the Directive. EULITA and Lessius University College have obtained EU funding for the four workshops which are held as part of the TRAFUT (Training for the Future) project.

At the recent second General Assembly of EULITA, which was held upon the invitation of the Chamber of Court-Appointed Interpreters in the Czech Republic (KST ČR) in Prague, Czech Republic, on 4 February 2012, EULITA adopted a Code of Professional Ethics (see “About Us”). On that occasion Mirjam van Oijen-Stolk, a board member of NBTG (Dutch Association for Sign Language Interpreters), which is the first national association of sign-language interpreters to join EULITA, was co-opted as a member of the EULITA Executive Committee. She succeeds Maya de Wit, President of EFSLI (European Forum of Sign-Language Interpreters) which is an associate member of EULITA. The other members of the Executive Committee continue to be Liese Katschinka (Austria), President, Christiane Driesen (Germany), Vice-President, Zofia Rybinska (Poland), Vice- President, Kristiina Antinjuntti (Finland), Secretary, Lucía Castaño-Castaño (Spain), Treasurer, and Flavia Caciagli (Italy). EULITA’s activities in 2012 will focus on the TRAFUT (Training for the Future) project and its three workshops (see “TRAFUT” for details).

Associations and organisations that are interested in legal interpreting and translation issues are cordially invited to contact the EULITA Secretary (info@eulita.eu) for details about membership in EULITA. You will also find all necessary information at “Join EULITA”.

Liese Katschinka, President of EULITA
Prague, February 2012