28 February 2024

Statement by the Belgian Quality Translation Association on sustainable relationships with LSPs

The BQTA fully supports initiatives that promote best practices and sustainable relationships between language service providers and professional linguists. However, we would like to highlight some key principles in order to protect the interests of language companies and linguists in the language industry.

We do not claim to represent the Belgian language industry or its language service companies, whose opinions may vary and whose agreements and contracts are freely negotiated and concluded with their individual language service providers in accordance with national and international regulations.

Interpreting and translation are essentially international professional language services that are not covered by local tariff agreements, collective labour agreements or industry-wide framework agreements.

We believe that there is great potential to improve the market value and public image of interpreting and translation services, especially in light of the transformation of applied language technology with artificial intelligence that is affecting language providers and practitioners worldwide.

In this regard, a mutual exchange of views and opinions between language practitioners and language service providers is part of a shared corporate social responsibility to add value and build trust.

We would like to emphasise our common interest in improving the public image of translators and interpreters, increasing the market value of language services and building sustainable relationships.

Dimitri Stoquart

President