LanguageNeutralDates.sql

-- Note that the proceeding queries interpert the date
-- differently based on the language (culture): 

SET LANGUAGE BRITISH; 
PRINT CAST('02/12/2007' AS DATETIME);

SET LANGUAGE us_english;
PRINT CAST('02/12/2007' AS DATETIME);

-- Using a language-neutral Date format results in
-- both dates being interpereted as the same: 

SET LANGUAGE BRITISH; 
PRINT CAST('20070212' AS DATETIME);

SET LANGUAGE us_english;
PRINT CAST('20070212' AS DATETIME);

-- Should you insist on using a language-dependant
-- format you could use CONVERT: 

PRINT CONVERT(DATETIME, '02/12/2007', 101); 
PRINT CONVERT(DATETIME, '02/12/2007', 103);

-- Another optionis to use the PARSE function: 

PRINT PARSE('02/12/2007' AS DATETIME USING 'en-US');
PRINT PARSE('02/12/2007' AS DATETIME USING 'en-GB');