Brussels, 11/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Business Forum for Multilingualism, chaired by Vicomte Etienne Davignon, Belgian Minister of State and former Vice-President of the European Commission, and set up in 2007 to examine the impact that language skills can have on trade and jobs in the European Union, passed on its report to Commissioner Orban, responsible for multilingualism, on Friday 11 July. This report sets out what should be done to help businesses gain new markets and new contracts in a globalised world. The report notes that: 1) Europe could lose its competitiveness as emerging markets, mainly in Asia and Latin America, rapidly acquire solid language skills; 2) formal and informal learning of a wide range of languages should be actively promoted in the EU member states as the business sector needs an increasingly diversified workforce; 3) language strategies need to be endorsed at the highest management level in companies across Europe; 4) companies need support for their efforts to use languages strategically, notably via the networks and structures already in place; and 5) a European platform is required for a structured exchange of information and best practice involving languages for business. (I.L./transl.jl)