Sustainability, sustainable development, conservation and other English sustainability equivalents in documents of the institutions of the European Union

ROBERTAS STUNŽINAS

Institute of the Lithuanian Language

KEYWORDS: terms, documents of European Union institutions, sustainable development, sustainability, sustainable development, harmony, environmental protection

In 1992, the main principles of sustainable development were formulated at the world summit in Rio de Janeiro. Sustainable development was established as the principal long-term ideology of societal development, the conceptual basis of which consists of three components—economic and social development, and environmental protection. This ideology is understood as a compromise between economic, social and environmental protection objectives, making it possible to achieve universal well-being for present and future generations without exceeding the permissible limits of environmental impact (for more, see the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval and Implementation of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, Valstybės žinios, 2003). Closely associated with this phenomenon (English sustainable development) are the terms sustainability, sustainable development, harmony, conservation, which denote the principles of this ideology and the particular characteristics of various areas of state activity. All these terms are equivalents of the single English term sustainability. This article examines, in terms of expression, meaning and usage, the Lithuanian equivalents of the English term sustainability in documents of European Union institutions translated into Lithuanian. The aim of the study is to determine which lexical units are used to translate the English term, what meanings the Lithuanian equivalents have in use, how they relate to one another, and what reasons may have led to the variety of equivalents.

In EU institutional documents, English sustainability most often denotes characteristics of various fields of activity, economic sectors and other matters in a state or union of states that are associated with the principles of the sustainable development ideology. Having exam-

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ining over 450¹ instances of the terms’ use, it was observed that they are used in relation to the following: states and unions: EU’s prosperity and sustainability – sustainability of the European Union (52012AR2255); areas of state activity, economic sectors (economy, manufacturing, agriculture, transport, tourism, fisheries, education, social welfare, energy, construction), e.g.: sustainability of aviation – sustainability of aviation (52008DC0389), agricultural sustainability – agricultural sustainability (52012AE1405), sustainability of pension systems – sustainability of pension systems (52011IP0058), sustainability of transport – sustainability of transport (52013DC0940), sustainability of production of goods and services – sustainability of production of goods and services (52010IP0299), sustainability of tourism – sustainable tourism (52010DC0352); processes and things, e.g.: sustainability of building works – sustainability of construction works (52013DC0196), sustainability of products – sustainability of products (52014DC0335).

1. FORMS OF EQUIVALENTS

The sources analysed show that the term under discussion is translated by a dozen or so equivalents, of which the most frequently used are the nouns sustainability, sustainable development, harmony, conservation. These equivalents are often used with dependent modifiers and form part of multiword terms, e.g.: sustainability of energy production (52010IP0299), urban sustainability (52013IR7987), social harmony (52009DC0400), biological conservation (52013DC0085). The term is also translated by adjective forms derived from the aforementioned equivalents—sustainable, harmonious, conserving, e.g.: “It is important to ensure transparency regarding the environmental performance of products and services if we want to encourage s u s t a i n a b l e business practices and s u s t a i n a b l e consumer habits [‘move towards more s u s t a i n a b i l i t y’²]” (52012AE1051). In translation theory, a change in part of speech³ is considered a transformation in which the semantic content of a word in the source language is conveyed by a target-language word belonging to another part of speech (for more, see Pažūsis 2014: 365). Other, less frequently used equivalents of sustainability are synonyms of sustainability and sustainable development: single-word equivalents with roots of foreign origin or other Lithuanian roots, as well as equivalents that differ in derivational formants

¹More than 100 documents published in the EU institutions’ “Eur lex” database (eur-lex.europa.eu) were examined.

²Terms and related words in English are given in parentheses.

³A change in sentence element results in a change in the structure of the entire sentence. Changes in sentence structure are not discussed in further detail.

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equivalents, words of similar meaning, or their combinations, for example: balance (cf. harmony, coherence), longevity (cf. sustainable 2. “constant, unchanging”; 4. “lasting a long time, enduring” (LKŽe)), durability, long use (cf. sustainable “constant, unchanging” (LKŽe)), more sustainable, ensuring sustainability, for example: “<...> the long-term balance of compulsory funded pension schemes [“the long-term sustainability”] depends not only on demographic trends <...>“ (52010IP0190); “<...> whereas the 75% employment target set in the Europe 2020 strategy should help ensure the longevity of pension systems [“sustainability of pension systems”] <...>“ (52011IP0058); “<...> calls on Member States to make progress <...> and to create an integrated internal market for investments by supplementary pension funds, thereby offering savers greater opportunities and alternatives and enabling them to obtain the best possible returns on their investments, while bearing in mind the major importance of such a system for the integration of European markets and for ensuring their efficiency and liquidity, as well as its growing importance for the durability of social protection systems [“sustainability of social security systems”] in view of the ageing of the EU population <...>“ (C2006/045E/02); “The long-term aim of cooperatives is to achieve economic and social cohesion [“economic and social sustainability”] by empowering people, anticipating change and optimising the use of resources. Their profits are not used to maximise returns on capital, but to distribute benefits and channel them into sustainable investment” (52012IE1049); “Information on the legal framework aspects currently mandatory for shared products (recycling, reuse, upgrading and long use) [“recycling, re-use, upgrading and sustainability”]” (52013IE2788); “Nevertheless, in certain countries and product markets, sustainability labelling [“sustainability labelling”] is disappearing from this market segment” (52010AE0108).

The terms sustainability, durability may be regarded as derivational synonyms, that is, derivatives belonging to the same word-formation category, sharing the same root and differing in their derivational formants (for more on the concept of derivational synonyms, see Vaskelienė, Kučinskienė 2012: 153). The equivalent more sustainable has the same meaning as the adjective sustainable, for example: “<...> the commitment of the entire education community to making schools and their surroundings greener and more sustainable [“enhance the environmental and sustainability quality of schools”] <...>“ (52007AR0127). In this case, the use of the equivalent ‘more sustainable’ is—

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related to the altered structure of the entire sentence. In such cases, one may also distinguish grammatical synonymy between degrees of comparison, where meanings converge and, in certain circumstances, comparative forms may replace one another (for more on such cases of synonymy, see Pikčilingis 1969: 39). In addition, English sustainability is translated by a participle—acceptable, for example: “This was intended to ensure that the successful tenderer would supply ‘sustainable’ products that were environmentally friendly and socially acceptable [“characterised in particular by their environmental and social sustainability”]” (62010CC0368).

It can be seen that the dominant Lithuanian equivalents of English sustainability—tvarumas, darnumas, darna and tausumas—and their derivatives tvarus, darnus, tausūs are often used to refer to the same things. For example, tvarumas, tvarus, tvaresnis are used in relation to various areas of government activity and their phenomena: politics (political communities, strategies), the economy (finance, markets, procurement, lending, companies), social policy (pension systems), energy (energy supply, fuels), environmental policy, ecology (rural areas, fish stocks), transport (aviation), agriculture, fisheries (fleets), tourism, manufacturing, construction and cities, for example: “<...> the main principles of the EU sustainability strategy [“EU sustainability strategy”] are the integration of economic, social and environmental concerns, the intensification of social dialogue, the strengthening of corporate social responsibility, the precautionary principle and the ‘polluter pays’ principle <...>“ (52010IP0299); “<...> considers that the sustainability of public finances [“sustainability of public finances”] depends fundamentally on the ability to increase employment in order to address demographic and budgetary challenges, paying particular attention to the sustainability of pension systems <...>“ (52010IP0190); “<...> therefore welcomes the European Union’s establishment of sustainability criteria for biofuels produced within the Union and for imported biofuels [“sustainability criteria for imported agrifuels”] <...>“ (52010IP0445); “The sustainability of coastal and maritime tourism [“sustainability of coastal and maritime tourism”] must be based on full respect for the environment, treating land and marine areas as interconnected” (52014AE2242); “The mid-term review of the European Commission’s White Paper on transport policy states that innovation will be a key factor in ensuring more sustainable (i.e. safer, more economically efficient, cleaner and more coherent) road transport [“road transport sustainability”] <...>“ (52009AE0872).

The terms darnumas, darna and darnus are used in texts on environmental policy, economic and energy matters, general policy issues, and social

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policy, tourism, transport, agriculture, fisheries and cities, for example: “The current economic and financial crisis has shown that harmony is also a key factor for our financial systems and the economy as a whole [“sustainability is also a key factor for our financial systems”]” (52009DC0400); “This objective is complemented by mandatory biofuel sustainability criteria [“sustainability criteria for biofuels”] incorporated into the Renewable Energy Directive <...> and the Fuel Quality Directive <...> <...>“ (52009DC0400); “When developing EU transport policy, it is vital to take account of all aspects of harmony [“all aspects of sustainability”] (such as emissions, noise, land availability and biodiversity) <...>“ (52009DC0400); “The creation of a single European transport area would make it easier for people and goods to move, reduce costs and enhance the sustainability of European transport [“enhance the sustainability of European transport”]” (52011DC0144); “Under EU indicative criteria based on the European Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities, an assessment of the sustainability of a town or city would be carried out [“would be used to assess a town’s or city’s sustainability”] <....>“ (52013IR7987).

‘Environmental stewardship’, ‘conservation’ and ‘resource-efficient’ are most commonly used to refer to phenomena in environmental policy, energy and fisheries, for example: “A strong international environmental governance framework is vital for the EU. Better governance should help all governments understand and address problems and give greater priority to stewardship [“increase the priority given to sustainability”]” (52006DC0020); “At the same time, the Commission stresses that future use of coal must pay particular regard to conservation objectives [“sustainability objectives”] and climate change policy” (52006DC0843); “Under the programme, the focus will be on strengthening fisheries and maritime governance, particularly on cross-border issues and environmental measures that promote the sustainable use of fisheries and marine resources [“sustainability use of fisheries and marine resources”], as well as the protection of coral reefs and coastal zone management” (52006DC0020).

The English term sustainability is characterised by polysemy and synonymy: its equivalents are used to denote features of various areas of government activity and phenomena; conversely, the same things are referred to by more than one equivalent. This may be due to the fact that the English term has several meanings, the absence of a suitable Lithuanian equivalent, variation among related terms, the opacity of the concept being named, or emphasis on different aspects of the things being referred to. The meanings of the term sustainability depend on the meanings of the base adjective sustainable: 1. “capable of remaining the same; maintaining ecological balance and

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resource-conserving”; 2. “confirmed or proven” (ODE). The Lithuanian equivalents denote only one particular characteristic, e.g.: sustainability, sustainable – longevity, permanence (sustainable – 1. “strong, durable”; 2. “permanent, unchanging”; 3. “enduring, resistant”; 4. “lasting a long time, enduring” (LKŽe)), harmony, harmoniousness, harmonious – balance, concord (harmonious – “compatible, coordinated” (DŽe)), sparing use, resource-conserving – protection, conservation (resource-conserving – “economical, conserving, frugal” (LKŽe)). In addition, English sustainability is related to the term sustainable development, whose equivalents are harmonious development, sustainable development. The ideology of harmonious (sustainable) development consists of three components—economic and social development, and environmental protection. The variety of equivalents may depend on the characteristic being emphasized. The interinstitutional EU terminology database IATE states that the English sustainable development equivalents harmonious development and sustainable development are not synonymous concepts: “An examination of Lithuanian equivalents for the English term ‘sustainable development’ established that, in different contexts, it denotes concepts that are not equivalent. The proposed Lithuanian equivalents of the term are: harmonious development, sustainable development. The attributive adjective ‘harmonious’ is more suitable when the aim is to emphasize that development is coordinated, whereas ‘sustainable’ is suitable when referring to a durable, uninterrupted process (for example, the preamble to the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe emphasizes harmonious and sustainable development).”

2. MEANING OF THE EQUIVALENTS

The following examines the meanings of English sustainability in specific fields and the Lithuanian equivalents used. In discussing general policy matters, the meaning of the English term is close to that of sustainable development: the pursuit of uninterrupted economic growth, balancing it with society’s interests and conserving the environment. The Lithuanian equivalent used is harmony⁴, for example: “Sustainable development is an overarching long-term objective enshrined in the Treaty. The 2006 renewed European Union Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS) provides a basis for a long-term vision of h a r m o n y [“long-term vision of s u s t a i n a b i l i t y”], in which economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection are closely linked and complement one another” (52009DC0400).

⁴ The context of use may vary. This analysis draws on the examples collected. It considers only cases in which the meaning is clear from the text or is explained in the EU institutions’ terminology database. In determining meanings, the meanings of related terms are taken into account, i.e. where the same conceptual content is expressed by an adjective and a noun, for example: aviation sustainability – sustainable aviation.

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In documents discussing transport policy matters, English sustainability is rendered by the following equivalents: sustainable, more sustainable, sustainability, harmony, for example: “The mid-term review of the European Commission’s White Paper on transport policy states that innovation will be a key factor in ensuring more sustainable [“road transport sustainability”] (i.e. safer, more economically efficient, cleaner and more harmonious) road transport, primarily through the application of information and communications technologies, in particular intelligent transport systems (ITS)” (52009AE0872); “<...> sustainability [“sustainability”], ensured by reducing greenhouse gas emissions so as to minimise climate change and pollution, and by complying with the relevant EU environmental legislation <...>” (52010DC0212); “The forthcoming White Paper on the future of transport policy will set out various measures to improve transport sustainability and reduce dependence on oil. It will include initiatives to increase the energy efficiency of the transport system, as well as support for clean urban mobility, multimodal transport solutions, intelligent traffic management and energy-efficiency standards applicable to all vehicles, appropriate economic signals and the promotion of sustainable behaviour” (52010DC0639R(02)). It can be seen that the English terms denote similar content—the harmony between transport systems and economic, social and environmental protection needs. The variation in equivalents may have been due to variation in the equivalents used for the related term sustainable development.

In aviation, the concept of sustainability encompasses the economic regulation of the sector, passenger safety and environmental conservation. This is evident from the closely related term sustainable aviation, for example: “Comprehensive air transport agreements with neighbouring countries, major partners and partners with similar provisions should also consider and harmonise regulation that enables fair competition and the sustainability of the aviation sector [“sustainable aviation industry”], including key aspects such as safety, security, environmental protection and economic regulation” (52012AE1250(03)). In documents on aviation, English sustainable is most often rendered as sustainability, for example: “Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 25 March 2009 with a view to the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council <...> to improve the performance and sustainability of the European aviation system [“sustainability of the European aviation system”]” (52009AP0169).

Environmental protection is one of the fundamental components of the sustainable development concept, whose aim is the sustainable use of natural resources and environmental

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conservation. When the subject is the environment, the term sustainability denotes its protection. The Lithuanian equivalents used in EU institutional documents are conservation, resource conservation, for example: “It also agrees with the Commission that an integrated approach should be applied, reconciling development with environmental conservation [“sustainability of environment”] <...>” (52011AR0086). In addition, the English term is a component of the main compound term environmental sustainability, which denotes the objective of the sustainable development concept: maintaining biological systems (“approach which ensures that biological systems remain diverse and productive through responsible and active management and use by humans over time”) (IATE). The Lithuanian equivalent for this component of the compound term is sustainability, for example: “Environmental sustainability [“Environmental sustainability”] is the seventh Millennium Development Goal; environmental care and sustainable energy are essential to achieving many of the MDGs” (52006DC0020).

When discussing cities, the concept urban sustainability denotes either conservation of the urban environment or harmony in a city’s society in economic, environmental and social terms. In the first case, sustainability is used; in the other, harmonious, for example: “Priority objective 8: to enhance the sustainability of the Union’s cities [“To enhance the sustainability of the Union’s cities”] <...> 91. | Many cities face the same core environmental problems, including air quality issues, high noise levels, traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, floods and storms, shrinking green areas, contaminated sites, derelict industrial sites and inadequate waste and energy management. At the same time, the Union’s cities exemplify urban sustainability and are often at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to environmental problems (81), including resource-efficiency and green-economy initiatives associated with the Europe 2020 strategy. An increasing number of European cities give considerable attention to environmental harmony in their development strategies” (32013D1386); “Having regard to the Rio+20 Declaration, the Committee of the Regions considers that a city is sustainable when it promotes a society that is sustainable in economic, environmental and social terms, has the least possible environmental impact, encourages new technologies and job creation, preserves natural and cultural heritage, and ensures social protection. It is also a city that enables the local community to participate in decision-making. <...> As an EU institution representing EU regions and cities, and serving as an information hub for many local networks, the Committee of the Regions must be a key component of this governance system. This will ensure that EU legislation better reflects the situation and needs of cities. In addition, cities would be given

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the opportunity to take responsibility for implementing sustainable urban measures [“urban sustainability measures”]“ (52013IR7987). The use and consumption of natural resources are directly related to environmental conservation and moderate consumption. The equivalents used are – conservation, conserving, resource-efficient, e.g.: “Fisheries and marine resources. Under the programme, attention will focus on strengthening fisheries and marine management, particularly cross-border issues and environmental measures that strengthen the sustainable use of fisheries and marine resources [“sustainability use of fisheries and marine resources”] and the protection of coral reefs and management of the coastal zone” (52006DC0020). Sustainability is used when the long-term viability of natural resources is to be emphasised, e.g.: “On the basis of scientific data, the WCPFC may adopt decisions designed to maintain, within the Convention Area, populations of highly migratory fish (including tuna and tuna-like species) at levels that ensure the long-term sustainability of such stocks [“long-term sustainability of such stocks”]” (52009PC0483).

Environmental conservation and the objectives of ensuring the long-term viability of resources are emphasised when discussing fisheries. In such cases, the English equivalents of sustainability used are – conservation, sustainability, e.g.: “<...> in order to promote small-scale coastal fishing, Member States whose small-scale coastal fishing segment is important should submit, together with their operational programmes, an action plan for the development, competitiveness and sustainability of small-scale coastal fishing [“action plans for the development, competitiveness and sustainability of small-scale coastal fishing”] <...>” (32014R0508); “The plans should establish a robust and long-term management system to ensure the sustainability of fisheries [“ensuring the sustainability of fisheries”] and high and stable catches for the fishing industry, while taking account of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management and, to that end, reducing the adverse impact of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem” (52014DC0388).

When discussing agriculture, the term sustainability denotes various things. Harmony is used to designate the compatibility of agricultural activity with the environment, and sustainability to denote long-term viability, e.g.: “The Union embarked on these changes on the basis of long-term integrated strategies aimed at halting the loss of biodiversity (8), using resources more efficiently (9) and accelerating the transition to a safe, low-carbon and harmonious economy (10). Building on the achievements to date, the Commission has further integrated environmental issues and objectives into recent initiatives, whose

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have been undertaken in other key policy areas, including energy (11) and transport (12), and has sought to increase the positive environmental impact of the Union's reforms of agricultural and rural development, fisheries and cohesion policies. Therefore, cross-compliance is crucial in helping to ensure the sustainability of agriculture [“contributing to the sustainability of agriculture”], as it promotes the protection of vulnerable ecosystems, such as water bodies, soil and species habitats” (32013D1386).

“Agricultural productivity and sustainability [“Agricultural productivity and sustainability”]

Over the next two decades, global demand for food will increase sharply. The aim of this partnership is to promote a resource-efficient, productive and low-pollution agricultural sector, developed with due regard for the key natural resources (such as soil and water) on which farming depends” (52010DC0546).

In the economic sphere, the English term sustainability most often refers to the stability of income. This is reflected in the meaning of the term sustainability of the government financial: “the stability of public finances in the medium and long term, for example, when revenues exceed expenditure and excessive public debt is avoided” (IATE). In EU institutional documents, this feature is designated by sustainability, e.g.: “European Parliament resolution on the long-term sustainability of public finances [“sustainability of public finances”] as the economy recovers <...>” (52010IP0190). The same conceptual features are indicated when referring to public debt, cf.: “Debt sustainability – the ability of a debtor country to service its debt on a continuing basis and not go into default (debt sustainability – the debtor country's ability to remain solvent and avoid bankruptcy)” (IATE). The same is emphasised when discussing lending and borrowing; the terms used are – sustainable lending and sustainable borrowing (32014L0017). The sustainability of income (52011DC0777, 52014DC0400) denotes its stability.

In documents referring to corporate governance and business development, the English term may denote growth or a mode of management that complies with sustainable development⁵. In both cases, sustainability is used, e.g.: “Drawing on examples of best practice, the time has come to disseminate more widely the best corporate practices related to sustainability by developing a common

⁵ This business management principle is designated by the term corporate sustainability – “management of businesses in a way that considers the needs of the environment, the economy and society (business management taking account of the needs of the environment, the economy and society)” (IATE).

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the convention on corporate responsibility for sustainability [“corporate sustainability”] and the general reporting convention based on the ISO26000 standard” (52011AE1386); “The EESC calls on the European Commission and other European institutions to actively support new international organisational governance aimed at strengthening links between these organisations and increasing their effectiveness in achieving sustainable development and ensuring decent work and corporate sustainability” (52010IE0462); “In its proposals, the Commission states that ‘the common objectives of this proposal to revise the Shareholders’ Rights Directive are to contribute to the long-term sustainability of EU companies [“long-term sustainability of EU companies”], create an attractive environment for shareholders and increase cross-border voting, improving the efficiency of the equity investment chain in order to foster growth, job creation and EU competitiveness’, alongside the ongoing reform of the financial sector” (52014AE2817).

When referring to production, products, services and trade, environmental protection or the principles of sustainable development—economic development, social well-being and environmental protection—are emphasised. Environmental protection is emphasised when referring to production; the Lithuanian equivalent is sustainability, for example: “Sustainable consumption and production ‖ Reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Possible elements: prevention, access to waste collection systems, waste recycling and reducing landfill ‖ Increase resource-use efficiency. Possible elements: the ratio of GDP to raw material consumption, lower carbon intensity, environmentally friendly methods ‖ Reduce the environmental impact caused by consumption <...> Improve the sustainability performance of companies, products and services [“Improve sustainability performance of companies, products and services”]. Possible elements: corporate sustainability reports, sustainable public procurement, certified labelling, investment in green sectors <...>” (52014DC0335). The principles of sustainable development are emphasised when referring to labels for goods⁶ whose production adheres to the principles of environmental protection, economic competitiveness and social well-being. The English equivalent of sustainability is sustainability, for example: “<...> take non-binding measures, for example, use ‘blame and responsibility’ mechanisms, sustainability labels [“sustainability labels”] or various diplomatic actions <...>” (52011SC1575).

⁶ The meaning of the term sustainability label has been taken into account: “labels used to identify a group of goods whose production involved conserving natural resources and air quality, taking noise, health and safety into account, preserving economic competitiveness and employment” (IATE).

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In documents concerning energy resources, the term sustainability denotes durability and environmental protection. The Lithuanian equivalents used are sustainability, sustainable use, for example: “Technology has a key role to play in making the most of the EU’s natural resources. As the need for renewable energy sources will continue to grow in order to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is important to make rapid progress in the competitiveness of renewable energy production, its consumption efficiency and sustainability [“energy security and s u s t a i n a b i l i t y priority”]” (52008DC0781).

The sustainability of energy supply and energy infrastructure denotes continuity of supply, for example: “S u s t a i n a b i l i t y [“s u s t a i n a b i l i t y”] would be ensured by connecting renewable energy sources (North Sea wind farms) to the grid and collecting and directing CO² for storage, but in reality this is unrelated to the sustainability of the TEN-E networks” (52009AE1029); “On additional measures to ensure sustainable infrastructure: interconnections between renewable energy sources are considered capable of ensuring energy s u s t a i n a b i l i t y [“energy s u s t a i n a b i l i t y”], but this has not yet been implemented. Measures must be taken to modernise electricity grids by addressing network losses, frequency, voltage and the harmonisation of Member States’ codes, and the capacity and security of gas network storage facilities must be improved” (52009AE1029). “S u s t a i n a b i l i t y [“S u s t a i n a b i l i t y”] – close cooperation with suppliers” (52012IP0238).

In documents about tourism policy objectives, the term sustainability denotes a combination of economic benefit, the social well-being of residents, and the protection of the environment and culture. The most commonly used Lithuanian equivalents are harmony, harmonious, e.g.:

„D a r n a u s Europos turizmo [“s u s t a i n a b i l i t y of European tourism”] tikslai ir uždaviniai

The existing framework for the development of EU economic, social and environmental policies, based on the Partnership for Growth and Jobs and the Sustainable Development Strategy, provides an appropriate basis for achieving the objectives of this agenda: economic prosperity, social equality and cohesion, and environmental and cultural protection” (52007DC0621).

Sustainability is used when referring to the growth of tourism businesses, for example: “Article 2 General objectives

1. The programme will contribute to the following general objectives, with particular attention to the specific needs of SMEs at European and global levels:

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(a) to increase the competitiveness and sustainability of Union enterprises, including those in the tourism sector [“sustainability of the Union’s enterprises”] <...>“ (52011PC0834R(01)).

In the field of social policy, various things may be designated by equivalents of social policy sustainability. Sustainability of pensions denotes financial stability and long-term viability, for example: “<...> takes the view that, in view of demographic trends and in order to ensure the sustainability of pensions, more people should participate in the labour market for longer, but points out that life expectancy is increasing and that better occupational health is a prerequisite for a longer working life” (52011IP0058). The same thing is designated by the synonym longevity, for example: “<...> since the 75% employment target set in the Europe 2020 strategy should help to ensure the longevity of pension systems [“sustainability of pension systems”] <...>“ (52011IP0058). In addition, the English word sustainability is the head element of the polysemous compound term social sustainability. This term designates a healthy lifestyle and social protection; its Lithuanian equivalent is social sustainability, for example: “Social sustainability [“Social sustainability”] means that people can live healthily and that those who cannot do so can earn an income, while an adequate level of social protection is guaranteed” (52006IE1142). The term social sustainability is also used to designate the principle of reconciling the interests of present and future generations. This meaning is recorded in the EU institutions’ terminology database: “the ability of a community to develop processes and structures that not only meet the needs of its present members but also provide opportunities for future generations to maintain a healthy community” (IATE). The English term corresponds to social cohesion, for example: “The Lisbon Strategy is a dynamic strategy that gives particular attention to cohesion (climate change, energy, financial and social cohesion) [“social sustainability”]” (52009DC0400).

Unfortunately, the content of the concept denoted by the English term is not clear in every case. In some cases, the context is insufficient to establish all its features. Moreover, it is unclear precisely what is designated by human sustainability⁷, for example: “Such an agenda must be adapted to our global and interconnected world, since a business-as-usual scenario can no longer ensure human dignity, equity, equality or sustainability [“in terms of human dignity, equity, equality or sustainability”]” (52014DC0335). Since the document discusses the goals of the components of sustainable development, it may be assumed that the concept’s content consists of matters related to the principles of this ideology.

In other sources, the term human sustainability refers to the maintenance of human capital (health, education, skills development, leadership and access to capital-supporting services) (Goodland 2002).⁷

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CONCLUSIONS

1. In EU institutions’ documents, the English term sustainability, denoting the principles of the sustainable development ideology, is translated using more than a dozen Lithuanian equivalents.

2. The predominant equivalents of the English term are the nouns sustainability, cohesion, harmony, environmental responsibility. The semantic content of the noun is often conveyed by the adjectives sustainable, cohesive, environmentally responsible. Other equivalents of the English sustainability are synonyms of the most common terms: terms with roots borrowed from other languages or other Lithuanian roots, derivational and grammatical synonyms, words of similar meaning, or combinations of words.

3. Equivalents of the English sustainable designate one of the principles of the sustainable development ideology (economic and social development, and environmental protection) or all of them collectively. The principles as a whole are most commonly designated by sustainability, sustainable, and much less often by cohesion, harmony, cohesive. Sustainability is often used to denote long-term viability and stability. Environmental responsibility generally denotes the principles of environmental conservation or moderate consumption. Different Lithuanian equivalents may emphasize various features of the same phenomena.

4. The abundance of Lithuanian equivalents may have been caused by the polysemy of the English term, the absence of a single Lithuanian equivalent that captures all the features of its meaning, the opacity of the concept being designated, the emphasis placed on different aspects of meaning, and variation in the Lithuanian equivalents sustainable development, namely sustainable development and sustainable development.

SOURCES⁸

Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the approval and implementation of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development. – Valstybės žinios, 2003.

32013D1386 – Decision No 1386/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2020 ‘Living well, within the limits of our planet’.

32014L0017 – Directive 2014/17/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 February 2014 on credit agreements for consumers relating to residential immovable property, amending Directives 2008/48/EC and 2013/36/EU and Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010.

32014R0508 – Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2328/2003, (EC) No 861/2006, (EC) No 1198/2006 and (EC) No 791/2007 and Regulation No 1255/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

52006DC0020 – Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament ‘External actions. Thematic programme for the environment and the sustainable management of natural resources, including energy’.

52006DC0843 – Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament ‘Sustainable power generation from fossil fuels: aiming for near-zero emission power generation from coal after 2020’.

⁸Sources are listed chronologically. The two digits preceding the letters indicate the final digits of the year. For example, the fourth and fifth digits of identification number 52006DC0020, ‘06’, indicate that the document was drawn up in 2006.

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52006IE1142 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Sustainable Development: “Driving Forces of Industrial Change”.

52007AR0127 – Opinion of the Committee of the Regions, “The importance of education and greater awareness in promoting sustainable development”.

52007DC0621 – Commission Communication, “Agenda for a Sustainable and Competitive European Tourism”.

52008DC0389 – Commission Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “Single European Sky II: A More Sustainable and Efficient Air Transport”.

52008DC0781 – Commission Communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “Second Strategic Energy Review. An EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan”.

52009AE0872 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the framework for the deployment of intelligent transport systems in the field of road transport and for interfaces with other modes of transport.

52009AE1029 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Green Paper, “Towards a Secure, Sustainable and Competitive European Energy Network”.

52009AP0169 – The performance and sustainability of the European aviation system. European Parliament legislative resolution of 25 March 2009 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EC) No 549/2004, (EC) No 550/2004, (EC) No 551/2004 and (EC) No 552/2004 in order to improve the performance and sustainability of the European aviation system.

52009DC0400 – Commission Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “Mainstreaming sustainable development into EU policies: 2009 Review of the European Union Sustainable Development Strategy”.

52009PC0483 – Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be adopted on behalf of the Community in the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

52010AE0108 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Commission Communication to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee, “Contribution to sustainable development. The role of fair trade and trade-related non-governmental sustainability assurance schemes”.

52010DC0212 – Commission staff working document, “Consultation on the future of trans-European transport network policy”.

52010DC0352 – Commission Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination – a new political framework for tourism”.

52010DC0546 – Commission Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative: Innovation Union”.

52010DC0639R(02) – Commission Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “Energy 2020: A Strategy for Competitive, Sustainable and Secure Energy”.

52010IE0462 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on new governance of international organisations.

52010IP0190 – Long-term sustainability of public finances in the economic recovery. European Parliament resolution of 20 May 2010 on the long-term sustainability of public finances in the economic recovery.

52010IP0299 – Expanding the job potential of the new sustainable economy. European Parliament resolution of 7 September 2010 on expanding the job potential of the new sustainable economy.

52010IP0445 – International trade policy in the context of climate change requirements. European Parliament resolution of 25 November 2010 on international trade policy in the context of climate change requirements.

52011AE1386 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Commission communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “Rio+20: the goals of a green economy and better governance”.

52011AR0086 – Opinion of the Committee of the Regions, “Strategy for the Dugnojaus region”.

52011DC0144 – White Paper, “Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area. Building a competitive resource-efficient transport system”.

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52011DC0777 – Commission communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “Commission Work Programme 2012: Delivering a European renewal”.

52011IP0058 – Adequate, sustainable and safe European pension systems. European Parliament resolution of 16 February 2011 on adequate, sustainable and safe European pension systems.

52011PC0834R(01) – Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises for 2014–2020.

52011SC1575 – Commission staff working document. Impact assessment summary.

52012AE1051 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns in the EU.

52012AE1250(03) – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Commission communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “Preparing for future challenges in the field of EU external aviation policy”.

52012AE1405 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Commission communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the European Innovation Partnership on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability.

52012AR2255 – Opinion of the Committee of the Regions, “A stronger European industry for growth and economic recovery”.

52012IE1049 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on cooperatives and restructuring (own-initiative opinion).

52012IP0238 – Cooperation with foreign partners on energy policy matters. European Parliament resolution of 12 June 2012 on cooperation with foreign partners on energy policy matters. A strategic approach to secure, sustainable and competitive energy supplies.

52013DC0085 – Commission report to the European Parliament and the Council, “Efforts made by Member States in 2011 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities”.

52013DC0196 – Commission communication to the European Parliament and the Council, “Building the Single Market for Green Products. Improving information on the environmental performance of products and organisations”.

52013DC0940 – Commission communication, “Building the core transport network. Core network corridors and the Connecting Europe Facility”.

52013IE2788 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on “Consumption based on collaboration or participation. A sustainability model for the 21st century”.

52013IR7987 – Opinion of the Committee of the Regions, “The Seventh Environment Action Programme: a focus on sustainable cities”.

52014AE2242 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Commission communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “An EU strategy for growth and jobs through the development of coastal and maritime tourism”.

52014AE2817 – Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2007/36/EC as regards the encouragement of long-term shareholder engagement and Directive 2013/34/EU as regards certain elements of the corporate governance statement.

52014DC0335 – Commission communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “A decent life for all. From vision to collective action”.

52014DC0388 – Commission communication to the European Parliament and the Council, “Consultation on the 2015 fishing opportunities under the Common Fisheries Policy”.

52014DC0400 – Commission communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, “2014 European Semester: Country-specific recommendations”.

62010CC0368 – Opinion of Advocate General Kokott delivered on 15 December 2011. European Commission v Kingdom of the Netherlands. Failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Directive 2004/18/EC – Procedures for the award of public works, supply and service contracts – Public contract for the supply, installation and servicing of hot drinks vending machines and the supply of tea, coffee and other ingredients – Article 23(6) and (8).

C2006/045E/02 – Minutes, Thursday, 28 April 2005.

IATE – Interactive Terminology for Europe, the European Union’s multilingual term base (http://iate.europa.eu).

EUR-lex – Database of European Union legislation and other public documents (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/lt/index.htm).

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LITERATŪRA

DŽe – Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas. 6-asis (3-iasis elektroninis) leidimas, Vilnius: Lietuvių kalbos institutas.

Goodland R. 2002: Sustainability: Human, Social, Economic and Environmental. – Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

LKŽe – Lietuvių kalbos žodynas (I–XX, 1941–2002), elektroninis variantas, Vilnius: Lietuvių kalbos institutas, 2005. – www.lkz.lt.

ODE 2010: Oxford Dictionary of English. Third edition. Edited by A. Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford university press.

Pažūsis L. 2014: Kalba ir vertimas, Vilnius: Vilniaus universitetas.

Pikčilingis J. 1969: Leksinė ir gramatinė sinonimika, Kaunas: Šviesa.

Vaskelienė J., Kučinskienė R. 2012: Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos būdvardžių darybiniai sinonimai. – Žmogus ir žodis, 153–161.

TVARUMAS, DARNUMAS, TAUSUMAS AND OTHER EQUIVALENTS OF THE TERM SUSTAINABILITY IN THE DOCUMENTS OF EU INSTITUTIONS

Sustainable development is a long-term ideology of societal development that is based on three principles – economic development, social development and environmental protection. The term sustainability is closely related to this ideology. In this article Lithuanian equivalents of the term sustainability are analyzed according to form, meaning and usage. Analysis of more than 450 cases of the usage of the English term sustainability shows, that this term has several Lithuanian equivalents, of which the most common are the nouns tvarumas, darnumas, darna, tausumas.

Often semantic content of the noun sustainability is expressed by the adjectives tvarus, darnus, tausus. Other equivalents are synonyms of the most common terms: terms which have borrowed or other Lithuanian root, derivative and grammatical synonyms, words or their combinations with similar meanings. Equivalents denote any principle of the ideology of sustainable development (economic, social development and environmental protection) or the ideology itself. In most cases the entirety of principles is denoted by equivalents tvarumas, tvarus, less frequently – by darnumas, darna, darnus.

The equivalent tvarumas is often used to name durability, stability. The equivalent tausumas usually denotes principles of moderate consumption or care of environment. In some cases different Lithuanian equivalents are used to name different features of the same phenomena. The abundance of Lithuanian equivalents appeared due to polysemy of the English term, absence of one common Lithuanian term covering all characteristics of the meaning, unclearness of the concept, emphasis of the different aspects of the concept, variation of equivalents of the related term sustainable development.

Gauta 2015-07-01

Robertas Stunžinas Lietuvių kalbos institutas P. Vileišio g. 5, LT-10308 Vilnius E. paštas [email protected]

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