English Translation Style Guide for EU – REFERENCES TO OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL

General. The full name of the Official Journal is Official Journal of the European Union and its official abbreviation in references is ‘OJ’. It is published in three series, ‘L’, ‘C’ and ‘S’, each serving different purposes. The L series contains EU legislation, the C series EU notices and information and the S series public procurement notices. Notices of recruitment competitions and some vacancy notices are published in separate ‘A’ issues of the C series (numbered, for example, ‘C227A’).

From 1 July 2013 the electronic edition of the Official Journal is considered authentic and has legal effect.

OJ references in running text. The abbreviation ‘No’ should be omitted from references to OJ numbers, whether in the OJ itself or in other work, including in references that predate the introduction of this convention. They should thus follow the pattern:

Official Journal (or OJ) L 118 of 4 May 1973

OJ footnote references — abbreviated form. Footnote references in the OJ itself have a shortened form for the date:

OJ L 281, 1.5.1975, p. 1.

Use this form for OJ footnote references elsewhere as well and in texts destined for the OJ, especially legislation, the budget (‘Remarks’ column), answers to parliamentary written questions and amendments to the Combined Nomenclature.

Page references following an oblique stroke (e.g. OJ L 262/68) are used only in page headings of the OJ itself, and should be avoided in all other contexts.

BULLETIN AND GENERAL REPORT

Bulletin. References to the Bulletin take the form:

Bull. 9-1980, point 1.3.4
Supplement 5/79 — Bull.

Note, however, that publication of the Bulletin ceased in September 2009.

General Report. References to the General Report take the form:

Twenty-third General Report, point 383; 1994 General Report, point 12
Point 104 of this Report
1990 Annexed Memorandum, point 38

The form ‘Twenty-seventh (or XXVIIth) General Report’ was used up to and including 1993. As from 1994, the title on the cover is ‘General Report 1994’ and the reference style ‘1994 General Report’. The above forms of reference are standard for footnotes in official publications, but in less formal contexts it is quite acceptable (and clearer) to refer to e.g. ‘the 1990 General Report’.

Part-numbering conventions. Note that Première (Deuxième, Troisième) partie are rendered Part One (Two, Three), not Part I or Part 1.