For the Basque Confederation, this initiative is a logical continuation of the work that it carried out together with the Kontseilua partnership in the framework of the campaign for the local elections in 2020. He asked the candidates if they won the elections a commitment to implement (or deepen) a language policy in favour of the Basque country. The compromise was signed by 60 lists from 33 countries. With this new initiative, the partnership aims to encourage those candidates who have already committed themselves to moving from a compromise to concrete action.

As for those on the Itsasuko Herriari list, in the campaign of the people’s votes they made clear their adherence to this Xarta.Al day after the elections they got to work, deepening relations with the European Council, punching the proposals and starting to draw the roadmap. In September 2020, the first working meeting was held, in which they showed their interest in the hottest topics with the different areas of actors (including the Basque Confederation). Following this meeting, the Basque Confederation and the elected representatives of Itsasu decided to set in motion joint work and to extend the unrest to all possible peoples.

Package sizes

Since the beginning of the year, some thirty localities and a territorial pole have had the opportunity to present the Xarta Local. Throughout this time, the majority elects have been seen personally by the mayor or by the mayor. So far all have been interested and are ready to discuss with the other local voters the possibility of accepting the Local Xarta.

The Basque Confederation and the elected representatives of Itsasu want to take advantage of the press conference to invite the peoples they have not seen and who may be interested in coming into contact with them. The Local Xarta can be signed by any people (based on their real situation and despite the fact that so far few things have been done for the Basque Country) and the Basque Confederation and the elects of Itsasu are ready to go to the presentation.

General principles and advantages of the Local Chart

The Xarta Local collects the measures that can be taken in favor of the Basque Country in different areas: teaching, justice, administration and public services, media, cultural activities and equipment, economic and social life, cross-border relations.

In order to sign the Local Xarta, the territorial community must select at least 35 options. The Xarta commitments are quite broad enough to implement a language policy. It is up to each people to implement the commitments they have made according to their potential. However, in order to give concrete form to each of the commitments and to help the people choose the options, an annex has been drawn up proposing a series of measures that can be taken in favour of the Basque Country in a single opposition. This annex has been created to help the people (by making choices, marking the roadmap…) but it is the options of the Local Xarta that the European Council takes into account.

A group of parallel inspectors will be formed and will report on the progress of the commitments to meet the alibi target for 18-24 months. This Bildu is not only an instrument for helping the people, it is a link that joins the European Council.

Although the advantages of the Local Xarta are already in implementation in some areas, the options of the Local Xarta and the concrete measures listed in the annex, the approval of the Local Xarta brings two main advantages to the signatory community:

- Official Declaration of the Council of Europe: The European Council of the Xarta Local, for its part, is in charge of collecting the Xartas, checking if the procedure is respected, giving its approval, checking if the preferences received by the community are fulfilled and hanging the results of the evaluations on its website. Above all, since the decision to sign the Local Xarta is taken on the council of the locality, the peoples who use the Basque Country “naturally” without a special agreement are given the opportunity to “officialize” the work they carry in their daily lives.

- Visibility of the work in favor of the Basque Country: as has already been mentioned, the options taken by the community and its degree of compliance appear on the website of the Council of Europe. As a result, in addition to the inhabitants of the people, everyone can see what a particular people does for the Basque people. In general, since public policies in favor of the Basque Country are carried with public money, it is logical that the results should be transparent and made public.

Timetable

In principle, there is no time limit for signing the Xarta Local and a territorial community can take the decision to sign it at any time. To get out of the art, in Alsace some 20 collectivities have signed this distinction, some did it in 2014, others in 2015…

With regard to Iparralde, the timetable for the implementation of this new initiative is as follows:

- From January to end of April: Presentation of the Xarta in the villages and poles
- Until mid-June: debates in the villages on the principle of agreement of the Xarta and election of oppositions
- End of June / beginning of July: public press conference with the first peoples who are ready to
sign - September/October: After Xartak's endorsement by the Council of Europe, formal vote in local councils
- November/December: The official signature of Xarta and the process of implementing a common language policy.

This timetable is indicative and, as has been said, from the press conference a people can take the decision to analyse and sign Xarta at any time.