How to write for the European Institutions

Are you an aspiring non-fiction author, or translator, maybe? Dreaming for a career in the European Parliament and/or Commission?

There you have two useful tools that will help you achieve the EU- English (house) style:

• A handbook for authors and translators in the European Commission

  (95 pages, PDF)

  

Writing in clear language can be difficult at the Commission, since much of the subject matter is complex and more and more is written in English by (and for) non-native speakers, or by native speakers who are beginning to lose touch with their language after years of working in a multilingual environment. We must nevertheless try to set an example by using language that is as clear, simple, and accessible as possible, out of courtesy to our readers and consideration for the image of the Commission.

• How to write clearly

  (16 pages, PDF)

  

  1. Think before you write
  2. Focus on the reader — be direct and interesting
  3. Get your document into shape
  4. KISS: Keep It Short and Simple
  5. Make sense — structure your sentences
  6. Cut out excess nouns – verb forms are livelier
  7. Be concrete, not abstract
  8. Prefer active verbs to passive — and name the agent
  9. Beware of false friends, jargon and abbreviations
  10. Revise and check
  11. Online EU drafting aids

Yours europeanly,