Languages serve as a vehicle for the transmission of information, especially economic information. The creation of a single European market implies that the partners in economic activities be able to access information available in languages other than their own, and, conversely, that they be able to communicate information intended for those who do not speak their language. This is the problem of the transfer of information, or, in other words, of translation.

In more precise terms, the multilingualism of Europe has two negative effects for European economic actors:

as producers of goods and services, they run up against additional obstacles when they wish to export their products. This leads to a loss of time and money, and, as a consequence, renders them less competitive.

as consumers of goods and services, they find increased difficulty in keeping themselves informed of the most recent technical developments and in acquiring the most modern equipment. This implies a lag in technology, and once more, therefore, a diminution in their ability to compete.

On the other hand, there can also be economic advantage in being the only substantial economic and industrial bloc in the world obliged to find a solution to problems of this type. This presents a unique opportunity to develop an invaluable savoir-faire in the area of natural language processing which can then be capitalized on; at the economic level, directly through the sale of experience and products, indirectly by being able to overcome other linguistic barriers with partners external to the Community (USSR, China, the Arab world, Latin America, etc.) more easily; at the social level, for example through the application of this expertise to the integration of the handicapped. This holds for monolingual as much as for multilingual activities.

In the long term, the development of a sound and profitable language industry will ensure a world leadership for Europe.