Tien nieuwe eurocommissarissen poetsen hun Frans op in Chateau de Correnson Millefeuille (en)

Paris is forking out for the EU's 10 new Commissioners to diet on French language and culture for a week in an attempt to fatten up the country's cultural clout in the enlarged EU.

The 10 new Commissioners from the enlarged EU are to be `treated' to a week's intensive schooling at the Château de Correnson Millefeuille, near Avignon to make them more familiar with the language of Molière.

The 10 will be invited to "achieve quickly a basic understanding of French" at the Château which advertises courses for 1,500-3,200 euro a week, according to the Independent.

There is a common perception in Brussels - and apparently in Paris - that with each wave of EU enlargement, francophonie loses ground in the cultural mêlée to become the European Union's lingua franca.

When Austria Finland and Sweden joined the Union in 1995, it is widely acknowledged that the prevalence of English and German was increased to the detriment of French.

The same is set to occur this time round with the ten new countries of Central Europe and the Mediterranean predominantly speaking English or German as their foreign language.

Although more important events are covered by translators, the working languages of the European Institutions are English, French and German.