Dear colleague, maybe we should switch into personal e-mailing, because our conversation has not too much common with Wikitech-l.

What has been the effect of joining the European Union?

In what sense? I don't see any effect. You can look, for instance, at http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEX numdoc&lg=cs&numdoc=31984L0253&model=guichett

Of course they're different, but in a bilingual country when texts must be issued in both languages, it is good to have a neutral standard.

It may have been this numerical. You can look, for instance, at http://www.filmsk.sk/show_article.php?id=2137

All government documents in Canada now use the ISO format, 2004-08-06.

It sounds to me too bureaucratic. ČSN (Czech standards) are based on ISO as well, but no one cares.

He may have taught the Czech language to his children who are more familiar with the American system of dates.

Yes, but with this Latin origin system of month names. Not with "American" shortcuts for Czech words.

Yours, Vít Zvánovec