Editing Nordic Council (section)

=== Languages ===
The Nordic Council uses the three Continental [[Scandinavian languages]] (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish) as its official working languages, while interpretation and translation service is arranged for Finnish and Icelandic (but never between the Scandinavian languages).<ref name="languages" /> The council also publishes material in English for information purposes. The Council refers to Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish collectively as Scandinavian and considers them to be different forms of the same language forming a common language community.<ref name="Norden">{{cite web |url=http://www.norden.org/ |title=Norden |date=11 September 2009 |access-date=4 March 2002 |archive-date=12 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012173529/http://www.norden.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 1987, under the [[Nordic Language Convention]], citizens of the Nordic countries have the opportunity to use their native language when interacting with official bodies in other Nordic countries without being liable to any interpretation or translation costs. The Convention covers visits to hospitals, job centres, the police, and social security offices. The languages included are Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish.<ref>[http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=6795&lang=6] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428022430/http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=6795&lang=6|date=28 April 2009}}</ref>

On 31 October 2018, the council established it has five official languages, giving Finnish and Icelandic equal status with Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish from 1 January 2020 onward. While the working languages of the council's secretariat remain the three Scandinavian languages, the Council emphasised that the secretariat must include personnel with comprehensive understanding of Finnish and Icelandic as well. The then-President of the Council [[Michael Tetzschner]] thought the compromise good but also expressed concern over the change's expenses and hoped they would not increase so much that there would be pressure to switch over to using English.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.norden.org/sv/news/starkt-position-finskan-och-islandskan-i-nordiska-radet|title=Stärkt position för finskan och isländskan i Nordiska rådet|date=31 October 2018|access-date=4 February 2020|language=sv|archive-date=2 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102200403/https://www.norden.org/sv/news/starkt-position-finskan-och-islandskan-i-nordiska-radet|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.norden.org/fi/uutinen/suomen-ja-islannin-kielen-asema-vahvistuu-pohjoismaiden-neuvostossa|title=Suomen ja islannin kielen asema vahvistuu Pohjoismaiden neuvostossa|date=31 October 2018|access-date=4 February 2020|language=fi|archive-date=9 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409201034/https://www.norden.org/fi/uutinen/suomen-ja-islannin-kielen-asema-vahvistuu-pohjoismaiden-neuvostossa|url-status=live}}</ref>