- •European Commission Translation Service English Style Guide
- •Conventions
- •Interference effects
- •Capital letters
- •Geographical names
- •Hyphens and compound words
- •Full stop or point
- •Semicolon
- •Parentheses
- •Brackets
- •Question mark
- •Exclamation mark
- •Quotation marks
- •Apostrophe
- •Writing out numbers
- •Fractions
- •Roman numerals
- •Dates and time dates
- •Abbreviations and acronyms
- •Mathematical symbols
- •Scientific symbols and units of measurement
- •Correspondence
- •Personal names and titles
- •Gender-neutral language
- •Foreign words and phrases in english text
- •Romanisation systems
- •Singular or plural
- •Perfect/simple past
- •Tenses in minutes
- •Some verb forms
- •Scientific names
- •Member states
- •Languages
- •Currencies
- •Primary legislation
- •Secondary legislation
- •Titles and numbering
- •Naming of parts
- •References
- •Decision-making procedures
- •References to the official journal
- •Bulletin and general report
- •Commission
- •Council
- •European parliament
- •Court of justice
- •Court of auditors
- •Economic and social committee
- •Committee of the regions
- •Units of account
- •Structural funds and eib
- •Other funds
- •Classifications
- •Individual countries
- •Permanent representations/representatives
- •National parliaments
- •National legislation
- •Annex 1 regions of the eu
- •Annex 2 notes on belgium
- •Annex 3 administrative units in germany
- •Annex 4 list of judicial bodies
- •Annex 5 national legal instruments
- •Annex 6 two-letter language codes in accordance with iso 639 (1990)
- •Annex 7 transliteration table for greek
- •Annex 8 transliteration table for cyrillic
- •Annex 9 chemical elements
- •Annex 10 list of common abbreviations and acronyms
Annex 5 national legal instruments
Follow the list below for formal designations. For act vs law, see 18.24.
DANISH: |
|
administrativ afgørelse |
administrative ruling |
(kongelige/ministeriel) anordning |
(royal/ministerial) decree |
bekendtgørelse |
order |
cirkulaere |
circular |
lov |
act/law |
lovbekendtgørelse |
consolidated act |
lovforslag |
bill/draft law |
vejledning |
guidelines |
DUTCH: |
|
algemene maatregel van bestuur |
general administrative regulation |
beschikking |
decision |
besluit |
decree |
Gerechtelijk Wetboek |
Judicial Code (Bel.) |
Grondwet |
Constitution |
koninklijk besluit |
royal decree |
Memorie van Toelichting |
Explanatory Memorandum (to a bill) |
overheidsbeschikking |
executive decision |
Staatsblad |
Bulletin of Acts and Decrees |
Staatscourant |
Government Gazette |
Tractatenblad |
Collection of treaties and conventions |
wet |
act/law |
Wetboek van Burgerlijke Rechtsvordering |
Code of Civil Procedure (now the Gerechtelijk Wetboek) |
Wetboek van Koophandel |
Commercial Code |
Wetboek van Strafvordering |
Code of Criminal Procedure |
FINNISH |
|
asetus |
decree |
laki |
act/law |
ministeriön päätös |
ministerial decision |
perustuslaki |
constitutional law |
Suomen säädöskokoelma |
Statute Book of Finland |
valtioneuvoston päätös |
government decision |
valtioneuvoston periaatepäätös |
government resolution |
FRENCH: |
|
arrêté royal (AR) |
royal decree |
Code judiciaire |
Judicial Code |
loi |
act/law |
ordonnance |
order |
ordre ministériel |
ministerial order |
règlement grand ducal |
grand ducal regulation |
GERMAN: |
|
Bundesgesetz (A) |
Federal act |
Durchführungsverordnung (A) |
implementing regulation |
Bescheid (A) |
decision |
Erlass (A) |
general circular |
Gesetz |
act/law |
Grundgesetz |
Basic Law/Constitution |
(Rechts)bestimmung |
provision (in a Vorschrift) |
(Rechts)verordnung |
(statutory) order |
(Rechts)vorschrift |
(set of) regulations |
Rundschreiben |
circular |
Weisung (A) |
administrative circular |
[(A) = Austria] |
|
GREEK: |
|
Nomos |
act/law |
proedriko diatagma |
presidential decree |
anangastikos nomos |
emergency act/law |
engiklios |
circular order |
Referring to the Greek Government Gazette (GG): Government Gazette 87/I/16.7.1982, Government Gazette I 30 |
|
ITALIAN: |
|
Codice Civile |
Civil Code |
Codice di Procedura Civile |
Code of Civil Procedure |
decreto del presidente della repubblica (DPR) |
presidential decree |
decreto legge |
decree-law |
decreto reale |
royal decree |
legge |
act/law |
PORTUGUESE |
|
Constituição |
Constitution |
decreto regional |
regional decree |
decreto regulamentar |
implementing decree |
decreto regulamentar regional |
regional implementing decree |
decreto-lei |
decree-law |
despacho normativo |
legislative order |
lei |
act/law |
norma constitucional |
constitutional statute |
portaria |
order in council |
postura |
(municipal) by-law |
resolução do Conselho de Ministros |
resolution of the Council of Ministers |
SPANISH |
|
Ley |
act/law |
Orden Ministerial |
ministerial Order |
Decreto |
decree |
Decreto-Ley |
decree-law |
Real Decreto |
royal decree |
Reglamento (recopilación legislativa) |
regulation |
SWEDISH |
|
Lagstiftning |
legislation |
Grundlagor |
fundamental laws |
Balk |
Code |
Författning |
Constitution |
Lag |
act/law |
Kungörelse |
decree |
Förordning |
regulation |
Föreskrift |
administrative provision |
allmänna råd |
guidelines |
The titles of laws, decrees, orders, regulations, etc. can often best be translated into English by inverting the word order so that they appear in the form customary in common law countries. Apostrophes and commas do not normally appear in such titles in English.
Examples:
Loi concernant les chèques, Cheques Act
Loi no. 66-537 du 24 juillet 1966 sur les sociétés commerciales, Commercial Business Associations Act No. 66-537 of 24 July 1966
Loi abrogeant l'article 77 du Code civil, Civil Code (Article 77) Repeal Act
Loi modifiant la loi relative à la protection des animaux, Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act
It will be seen that words such as concernant or sur become superfluous when translated and this helps towards brevity. Note that words which would otherwise sit unhappily in the inverted title are placed in brackets; this is standard practice in the titles of statutes and statutory instruments in the United Kingdom.
If this procedure becomes unmanageable, or if you feel the reader might be confused, you can of course cite the law etc. in the original language and put a literal English translation in brackets:
Example:
Ley 19/1985, de 16 de julio, Cambiaria y del Cheque (Law No 19 of 16 July 1985 governing bills of exchange and cheques)