English translation: subject to consultation with / having consulted
Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
Spanish to English translations [PRO] Law/Patents - Government / Politics
Spanish term or phrase:previo concepto
Good afternoon!
Does anyone know what is meant by "concepto" in these examples?
It is from a Colombian law. Thank you.
El Gobierno Nacional, a través del Ministerio de Cultura y previo concepto del Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales, es el responsable de la declaratoria y del manejo de los monumentos nacionales y de los Bienes de Interés Cultural de carácter nacional.
Las Entidades Territoriales, con base en los principios de descentralización, autonomía y participación, les corresponde la declaratoria y el manejo del Patrimonio Cultural y de los Bienes de Interés Cultural del ámbito municipal, distrital, departamental, a través de las Alcaldías municipales y las Gobernaciones respectivas y de los territorios indígenas, previo concepto de los Centros Filiales del Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales allí donde existan, o en su defecto por la entidad delegada por el Ministerio de Cultura.
Explanation: "Previo" often means "subject to", expressing something that must be done before something else is done.
"Concepto" really means "opinion" here: the view of the Consejo on the proposal put to it.
The appropriate translation depends on whether the opinion of the Consejo is binding. "Previo concepto" means that the government is obliged to ask the Consejo what it thinks, but does not necessarily mean that it is obliged to act in accordance with the Consejo's opinion. You can have "previo concepto vinculante" or "previo concepto no vinculante". The common expression "previo concepto favorable" indicates, implicitly, that the opinion is binding, and can be translated "subject to the approval of". Here, however, all we know for sure is that the government is obliged to solicit the opinion of the Consejo: in other words, to consult it. So I would use the word "consultation" here. "Subject to the opinion of" would imply that if the opinion is unfavourable it amounts to a veto.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2011-12-02 18:55:32 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Yes, that's right. It is clear from the terminology that this is about Colombia. The job of Consejo and its local and regional Centros Filiales is to assess the proposal and provide an expert recommendation. The Ministry of Culture (acting on behalf of the government), at national level, or the Entidades Territoriales, at regional and local level, then take the decision. The function of the Consejo is to advise the Ministry: it is a consultative body:
"El Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales es el órgano encargado de asesorar al Gobierno Nacional en cuanto a la protección y manejo del patrimonio cultural de la Nación." Artículo 7° de la Ley 397 de 1997 (Ley General de Cultura) http://www.mincultura.gov.co/?idcategoria=6486
But the decision lies with the Ministry: "es el responsable de la declaratoria y del manejo" makes this clear.
Yes, eventually I shall have to translate this into German. But since the Spanish-English community on Proz is more active and in this case I was just hoping to get the meaning of a term right, I asked here. And sorry I got the language pair wrong in the beginning.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +4