NATION BLOC WHICH HAS NO SINGLE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. ALL 20 LANGUAGES OF THE MEMBER STATES ARE USED AT SUMMITS, MINISTERIAL MEETINGS AND IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. FRENCH ONCE DOMINATED THE EU, BUT ENGLISH HAS OVERTAKEN IT SINCE THE BLOC EXPANDED TO TAKE IN NORDIC COUNTRIES IN THE 1990S AND EAST EUROPEAN MEMBERS IN 2004. PARIS HAS FOUGHT A REARGUARD BATTLE TO PRESERVE FRENCH AS A MAIN WORKING LANGUAGE IN BRUSSELS, SPARING NO EXPENSE TO OFFER FREE OR HEAVILY SUBSIDISED LANGUAGE COURSES TO OFFICIALS AND DIPLOMATS FROM THE NEW MEMBER STATES AS WELL AS JOURNALISTS. --SP 23 53 LOCAL TIME 20 53 GMT
