The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union entered into force on 7 December 2000 and contains several provisions concerning languages and language rights.

Article 21

1. Any discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation shall be prohibited.

Article 22 

The Union shall respect cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.

Article 41 

4. Every person may write to the institutions of the Union in one of the languages of the Treaties and must have an answer in the same language.

Note: The full text of the Charter is available on the website of the European Parliament at http://www.europarl.eu.int/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf