language subtag registration request: Region EU

Markus Scherer markus.icu at gmail.com
Thu Jan 12 17:45:02 CET 2006


On 1/12/06, Frank Ellermann <nobody at xyzzy.claranet.de> wrote:
> > I realize that the RFC 3066bis registration process is not in
> > force yet
>
> The IANA language subtag registry exists, 3066bis is approved
> waiting for its number, and the old RfC 3066 registry is closed
> - isn't that already good enough to use the new registry ?

Well, if it's good enough for this group, then it's good enough for me
and I am happy :-)

> >    Type: Region
> >    Subtag: EU
>
> No ISO 3166.1 "assigned" country code, so that's not allowed
> by 3066bis, "exceptionally reserved" isn't enough.

I read RFC 3066bis, and I didn't get this out of there. ISO 3166 seems
to distinguish between "official" and reserved codes. See the top of
http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/prods-services/iso3166ma/02iso-3166-code-lists/iso_3166-1_decoding_table.html
"The content of this document is taken from two sources: The official
code list of ISO 3166-1 and the list of reserved ISO 3166-1 code
elements which contains information on code allocations which are not
officially part of ISO 3166-1"

RFC 3066bis, by contrast, speaks of "assigned" codes. Table 1 of the
above ISO web page suggests that "assigned" codes include reserved
ones: Reserved codes are not counted among "un-assigned" codes. I
think this permits the use of "reserved-assigned" codes (my coinage
here) with RFC 3066bis.

Given the status of this particular reserved code - its intimate
connection with the ISO 4217 currency codes (EU reserved because of
EUR) and its scope of use for "any application" (as opposed to the
usual single standard or field) - to me signal long-term stability,
and suitability for public use like "official" 3166-1 codes.

>  One of the
> reasons why I hope that they'll soon assign GG, IM, and JE.

Of course I agree that it would be good if these reserved codes were
"officialy assigned" and not just reserved. However, the status for EU
is very strong, unlike the status for GG, IM, and JE whose scope is
restricted to the UPU.

> You could use region codes like 150 (Europe).  It's not the
> same as EU, but maybe the smallest region including the EU:
>
> <http://www.iana.org/assignments/language-subtag-registry>

No, I am specifically looking to indicate the European Union.

> I'm not sure about overseas territories of France and the UK,
> do some or all of them belong to the EU ?

They do, or at least some of them. Their geographical shapes are even
printed on the currency. (I remember specifically French Guyana & the
Canary Islands.)

>  Probably irrelevant
> for language tags.
>                              Bye, Frank

Thanks for your thoughts and discussion,
markus

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