Language and Style Manual of the European Free
Trade Association
Last updated April 2012
Foreword
This language manual identifies terms and expressions most commonly used by EFTA
staff and offers a unified way of presenting them. Its purpose is to provide a useful
reference tool when drafting documents, particularly for newcomers to the Secretariat.
Its contents should be viewed as guidelines rather than rules, and as both EFTA and
the English language continue to evolve, so will this manual. It is a living document
and welcomes suggestions from staff for future updates.
From short news releases to lengthy legal decisions, the function, tone and target
audience of EFTA documents vary massively. Texts often have several authors, of
different nationalities, with input and ideas coming from numerous sources and
locations. It is therefore natural that discrepancies arise and opinions may differ, under
which circumstances it may occasionally be necessary to deviate from these guidelines
in order to maintain a sense of consistency.
This manual is based on recommendations made by the European Union
Interinstitutional Style Guide, the Guardian Style Guide and the Times Style and
Usage Guide. Certain sections have been modified to reflect terminology and language
specific to EFTA.
Juliet Reynolds
Copy Editor
A.
abbreviations and acronyms (see also Annex I) If a name or term is mentioned
more than once in a text, always type it out in full the first time, with the abbreviation
or acronym in brackets immediately afterwards.
From the second reference onwards, use the abbreviation or acronym.
Even if the abbreviation or acronym is well recognised, in general it is better to spell
out the full name the first time it is mentioned for the benefit of all readers.
If your document contains a lot of abbreviations and acronyms, consider including a
list of them and their meanings at the end of the document.
Plurals of acronyms (e.g. MEPs, MPs, SMEs and NSIs) do not take an apostrophe (see
also apostrophes).
account Synonyms of taking into account include bearing in mind, considering,
given, in light of, in view of, keeping in mind and taking into consideration.
acquis (communautaire) (see also italics) Definition: The body of law accumulated
by the European Union, incorporated into the EEA Agreement once it has been
established that it is EEA relevant. Not italicised.
act (see also capital letters) Act is written in lower case when speaking in general
terms and capitalised when referring to one act in particular.
active v passive Active verbs make writing livelier and more personal. Compare “the
Icelandic Delegate mentioned that…” to “it was mentioned by the Icelandic Delegate
that…” The second phrase feels heavier and unnecessarily long.
Prefer the active voice unless there is a good reason for using the passive voice, e.g. in
the sentence “the Chair noticed that a mistake had been made in the minutes of the
meeting”.
actually (see also language) Means “as a matter of fact”. Not to be confused with the
French word “actuellement”, meaning “currently”.
additionally Synonyms include also, furthermore, in addition and moreover.
addresses and telephone numbers The former country codes used for transferring
international mail have been withdrawn or modified in many countries, so avoid using
these before the postcode.
In telephone numbers, the international dialling codes are preceded by a + and the 0
before the city code is omitted.
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EFTA Secretariat, Geneva (Headquarters)
9-11, rue de Varembé
1211 Geneva 20 (not CH-1211)
Switzerland
Tel. +41 22 33 22 600 (not +41 (0)22…)
EFTA Secretariat, Brussels
Rue Joseph II, 12-16
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel. +32 2 286 17 11
EFTA Statistical Office, Luxembourg
Bâtiment Bech
Office F2/908
5 Rue Alphonse Weicker
2721 Luxembourg
Tel. +352 4301 37775
adviser Adviser is the preferred spelling in an EFTA context (rather than advisor).
affect v effect Affect is a verb that means to influence; effect is a noun that means the
result of a particular influence.
agenda (see also capital letters) Always written in lower case, unless it forms part of
a heading.
agreement (see also capital letters) Agreement is written in lower case when
speaking in general terms and capitalised when referring to one agreement in
particular.
ambassador (see also capital letters) Ambassador is written in lower case when
speaking in general terms and capitalised when referring to one ambassador in
particular.
ampersand (&) Avoid using & in text as a substitute for and, unless this forms part
of the official name of an organisation (see also organisations and institutions).
annexes to the EEA Agreement (see also articles and protocols).
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annual report Generally speaking, avoid repeating the year in the body text as this
information is taken for granted, e.g. in the 2011 Annual Report, it is not necessary to
begin each new paragraph with “In 2011”.
apostrophes (see also abbreviations and acronyms) When a noun ends in s, you can
drop the ‟s and just use the apostrophe to indicate possession, e.g. James‟ (belonging to
James).
Decades do not take an apostrophe, e.g. the 1990s.
Plurals of acronyms (e.g. MEPs, MPs, SMEs, NSIs) do not take an apostrophe.
articles of the EEA Agreement (see also annexes and protocols).
attendance at a meeting or event.
audiovisual (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate.
B.
bilateral (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (see also countries) Not Bosnia-Herzegovina.
brackets (see also punctuation) Brackets can be used for extra words and phrases
that are of minimal importance to the sentence. Use them for examples, explanations or
asides.
Punctuation goes inside the brackets if the phrase is a complete sentence in itself and
outside the brackets if it belongs to the surrounding sentence.
e.g.
Sue completed her first marathon (albeit slowly).
Driving through Brussels in the pouring rain (where had the sunshine gone?) took
twice as long as usual.
briefing (see also capital letters) Always written in lower case, unless it forms part of
a heading.
budget Capitalise when referring to the EFTA Budget or the EU Budget.
4
bulleted lists (see also punctuation) Always capitalise the first word of each point
and stay consistent with the sentence structure and punctuation of each bullet point.
e.g.
EFTA has four Member States:
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Norway
Switzerland
The EFTA Secretariat is responsible for, among others:
Identifying new acts;
Drafting EEA EFTA comments;
Assisting the working groups and subcommittees; and
Publishing the EEA Supplement.
When Theresa arrived at the office she did the following things:
She took off her coat.
She made a cup of coffee.
She switched on her computer.
She checked her emails.
C.
capital letters Capital letters tend to interrupt the flow of reading. Therefore reserve
them for the following uses:
Headings and subheadings (see also headings and headlines)
Institutions, e.g. the European Free Trade Association
Official titles, e.g. the EFTA Secretary-General (see also titles of people)
Proper nouns, e.g. Norway
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Specifics, e.g. the Single Market, the Internal Energy Market, the EFTA
Budget
There will always be exceptions to the following guidelines on the use of capital
letters, particularly in legal texts, so the most important thing to remember is to remain
consistent throughout each individual document.
The following are written in lower case when speaking in general terms and capitalised
when referring to one (or more) in particular:
Official documents (e.g. acts, agreements, comments, communications,
conclusions, decisions, directives, green/white papers and regulations)
NB When referring to proposed legislation, use the lower case (e.g. a draft
regulation on… a possible new directive on … a proposal on …)
Sections within official documents (e.g. chapters, articles, annexes, appendices
and protocols)
Official people (e.g. ambassadors, chairs and ministers)
Exception: when referring to EFTA Ministers or EFTA Ministerial meetings,
even generally, always capitalise the M (see also ministers)
Official groups of people (e.g. committees, (political) parties, expert groups,
study groups, subcommittees and working groups)
NB When referring to parties (i.e. signatories) to an EFTA Free Trade
Agreement or Joint Declaration on Cooperation, or in a legal context, always
capitalise the P (see also parties).
Packages and programmes (e.g. the EEA EFTA States participate in numerous
EU programmes, such as the Culture Programme)
Strategies (e.g. the Europe 2020 Strategy, the Consumer Policy Strategy)
If the name of a document, group or committee is particularly long, however, use
capital letters sparingly within the body text for ease of reading.
Examples:
The Directive on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and
women engaged in an activity in a self-employed capacity was incorporated into the
EEA Agreement in July 2011.
and
The Subcommittees agreed to a merger between the Working Group on free movement
of persons, employment and social policy and the Working Group on health and safety
at work and labour law.
Source: 51st Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association
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The following are written in lower case, unless they form part of a heading:
Consultations
Delegates and delegations
Events (e.g. briefings, meetings, negotiations, roundtables and seminars) and
their accompanying documents (e.g. agendas, lists of participants, minutes,
reports and speaking notes)
Reviews
Spokesperson
Standard sheet
The first letters of the days of the week and months of the year are capitalised, but not
those of the seasons (unless they form part of a title).
Avoid using capital letters to highlight or give emphasis to words. If in doubt, do not
capitalise.
centre (UK) v center (US) (see also US English translations and organisations and
institutions) Should be written in UK English, except when it forms part of the
official name of an organisation or institution, e.g. the Norwegian Research Center for
Computers and Law.
chair (see also capital letters and titles of people) The person who presides over a
meeting is the chair. Written in lower case when speaking in general terms and
capitalised when referring to one chair in particular.
committee (see also capital letters) Committee is written in lower case when
speaking in general terms and capitalised when referring to one committee in
particular.
compare To compare to means to liken to, whereas to compare with means to make a
comparison with.
compass points Compass points are written in lower case unless they form part of an
administrative or political unit or distinct regional entity.
e.g.
Compare: southern Spain, northern France
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To: South Africa, Northern Ireland
Central and Eastern European countries are capitalised because the connotations are
more political than geographical.
Central American countries and Central America are both capitalised because they
refer to a specific group of countries.
composed Synonyms for to be composed of include to comprise, to consist of and to
include.
comprise Synonyms for to comprise include to be composed of, to consist of and to
include.
concerned (see also outstanding and responsible) Take care to position this
adjective correctly in your sentence as, generally speaking, the meaning changes
according to whether it comes before or after the noun.
Before the noun: the concerned minister means the minister who is anxious or
worried about something.
After the noun: the minister concerned means the minister who is affected, or for
whom something is of interest.
conclusions (see also capital letters) Written in lower case when speaking in general
terms and capitalised when referring to a specific document (e.g. Conclusions of the
35th meeting of the EEA Council).
consideration/considering Synonyms of taking into consideration or considering
include bearing in mind, given, in light of, in view of, keeping in mind and taking into
account.
consist Synonyms for to consist of include to be composed of, to comprise and to
include.
consultation (see also capital letters) Written in lower case unless it forms part of a
heading, e.g. the Commission consultation on EU air quality legislation.
contribution in kind (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate.
cooperate, cooperation (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate, e.g. joint declaration
on cooperation.
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coordinate, coordination (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate, e.g. the EEA
Coordination Division.
copied texts
Be careful when transferring text from one place to another. Text copied from another
source needs to be checked for inconsistencies in font, formatting, spacing and
punctuation, presentation of figures, spelling of certain words, use of capital letters and
typographical errors.
councillor v counsellor The words councillor and counsellor are often confused. A
councillor is a member of a council, whereas a counsellor is a senior officer in the
diplomatic service or a person who gives advice on a specific subject. Note that both
end in –or (not –er).
countries A useful reference tool for the correct spelling of country names is the
World Trade Organization‟s list of members and observers:
http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org6_e.htm
currencies (see also numbers)
Currency
ISO code
Euro
EUR
Icelandic króna
ISK
Norwegian krone
NOK
Swiss franc
CHF
Use the full name when writing about a currency in general, e.g. the euro (plural euros)
is the official currency in Belgium.
When including actual figures in the text, use the ISO code, e.g. EUR 3 million, CHF 3
million (with one space between the currency and the figure).
The euro sign € is reserved for graphics.
For further information on the European Commission‟s guide to expressing monetary
units, see http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-370303.htm.
For further information on the European Commission‟s guide to expressing the euro,
see http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-370300.htm
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D.
data For the purpose of consistency in EFTA publications, express data in the plural,
e.g. EFTA data are (not is) sent to Eurostat for inclusion in its publications.
database (see also hyphens) One word, do not hyphenate.
dates (see also times) Always write dates in full: 1 October 2011 or Saturday 1
October 2011 (no comma after the day). Avoid abbreviating to 1/10/2011 as some
readers could interpret this as 10 January 2011.
Exception: 9/11 (always expressed as month/day)
As a rule of thumb, date spans in running text should be written out in full:
From 2005 to 2010
Between 2005 and 2010
2005 to 2010 inclusive
The meeting was held on 19 and 20 March 2012
The meeting was held from 19 to 21 March 2012
Allow room for flexibility in footnotes and headings, and when referring to the official
titles of programmes, grants, etc.
days of the week (see also capital letters) Always capitalise.
de facto (see also italics) Definition: Existing in fact, although not necessarily
intended or accepted. Not italicised.
deadlines Before, by, until and within are commonly used in conjunction with
deadlines.
Examples of correct usage:
You must send the letter before 10 July.
You must send the letter by 10 July.
You have until 10 July to send the letter.
You must send the letter within ten days.
10
In the first three examples, the number ten is written as a figure because it forms part
of a date (see also numbers).
Different ways of talking about deadlines:
A deadline for replies was set for [date].
They were given a deadline of [date] to reply.
The deadline for replies was [date].
decide Avoid it was decided to hold a meeting. Instead use it was decided that a
meeting would be held or the [Committee] decided to hold a meeting.
decimal places Decimal places are represented by full stops, not by commas (see also
numbers).
decision (see also capital letters, hyphens and numbers) A political decision is
written in lower case when speaking in general terms and capitalised when referring to
one or more decisions in particular, e.g. the EEA EFTA States are ready to adopt
Decision Nos (not Decisions No or Decisions Nos) 47/2011 to 58/2011.
e.g.
The EEA EFTA States are ready to adopt Decision Nos 47/2011 to 58/2011 (note that
the preferred EFTA abbreviation for number is no, plural nos, capitalised here because
reference is made to a specific series of decisions).
decision making/shaping (noun)
Do not hyphenate
decision-making/decision-shaping
(adjective)
e.g. decision making/shaping in the EEA
Hyphenate
e.g. the decision-making/decision-shaping
process
delegate, delegation (see also capital letters) Always written in lower case, unless it
forms part of a heading, e.g. the Icelandic delegation gave a status report on Iceland‟s
accession to the EU.
dependent (adjective or noun) v dependant (noun only) (see also language) Take
care to use the correct spelling.
11
directive (see also capital letters) Directive is written in lower case when speaking in
general terms and capitalised when referring to one directive in particular. Unless it is
better known by its number than its name, there is no need to include the directive
number in EFTA publications.
documents (see also abbreviations and acronyms) However long, always give the
full title of an official document the first time you cite it in a text and then abbreviate it
in brackets immediately afterwards.
E.
e.g. Separated by full stops, no comma afterwards. If a list begins with e.g. do not end
it with etc (see also etc). Do not use e.g. at the beginning of a sentence. Instead, write
“For example…” Do not italicise.
EEA EFTA (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate.
EEA EFTA comment (see also capital letters) Written in lower case when speaking
in general terms and capitalised when referring to one in particular (e.g. EEA EFTA
Comment on the Single Market Act).
EEA relevance (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate.
EEA relevant v EEA-relevant (see also hyphens) Hyphenate only when used as a
compound adjective directly before the noun, e.g. compare EEA-relevant acts to acts
that are EEA relevant.
effect (see affect v effect)
EFTA (see also European Free Trade Association) Can be referred to as the
Association (capital) or the organisation (lower case).
EFTA at three, EFTA at four (see also hyphens) No hyphens. Always spell the
numbers out in full.
EFTA divisions and their abbreviations
Division
Abbreviation
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Division
Abbreviation
Administration
ADM
EEA Coordination Division
ECD
EFTA Statistical Office
ESO
Goods Division
GDD
Secretary-General‟s Office
SGO
Services, Capital, Persons & Programmes Division
SCD
Trade Relations Division
TRD
ellipsis Ellipses ( … ) indicate an omission in the text. An ellipsis consists of three
dots with a space either side. If it falls at the end of the sentence there is no need for a
full stop.
email (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate or capitalise.
etc (see also e.g.) Preceded by a comma but not separated by full stops. Do not
italicise. If a list begins with e.g. do not end it with etc.
EU27 (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate. No space between EU and 27.
European Free Trade Association (see also EFTA)
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is an intergovernmental organisation set
up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its four
Member States: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
eventually v perhaps Eventually means “finally”, “in the end” or “at last” and should
not be used as a synonym for “perhaps”, which means “maybe”.
every day v everyday Every day is an adverb meaning “on a daily basis”. Everyday
is an adjective meaning “ordinary”.
express Always takes an object, e.g. he expressed the view/opinion that… (not he
expressed that…)
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F.
factsheet (see also hyphens) One word, no hyphen.
footnotes Where there is only one footnote in a text, denote this with an asterisk.
Where there are several footnotes in a text, use numbering (see also publication
details).
The footnote reference (the superscript number that appears directly after the main
text) is always in regular font, even where the text it refers to is written in italics or
bold.
The footnote itself (at the bottom of the page) always ends in a full stop.
foreign words (see also language and names) Italicise foreign words and expressions
in an English text unless they are well known or have been in use in the English
language for a long time. Personal names should retain their original spelling,
including any accents or other characters not used in English.
forthcoming (see also hyphens) One word, do not hyphenate.
furthermore Synonyms include additionally, also, in addition and moreover.
G.
given Synonyms of given include bearing in mind, considering, in light of, in view of,
keeping in mind, taking into account and taking into consideration.
government Capitalise when referring to one government in particular but write in
lower case when it is unspecific, not yet formed or used as an adjective.
H.
headings and headlines (see also capital letters) All words in headings and
subheadings of EFTA publications begin with a capital letter, including short verbs.
Exceptions: a, an, and, as, but, if, of, or (and adverbs and prepositions with fewer than
five letters).
There is no full stop at the end of a heading or subheading.
14
Capitalise both elements of a hyphenated compound in a heading or subheading.
Sub-subheadings are italicised and take a capital letter on the first word only.
e.g.
Heading: Free Movement of Goods
Subheading: Technical Barriers to Trade
Sub-subheading: Motor vehicles
Source: 50th Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association
The typeface and colour scheme are determined by the overall theme of the
publication.
Headlines of EFTA news releases are written in lower case (apart from the initial
capital) unless they contain a name or a title.
A headline is generally written in the present tense to convey the feeling that the news
is fresh and current. Information regarding the date of an event or meeting should be
reserved for the body text.
It is not necessary to include the definite article (the) in a headline.
e.g.
Headline: Iceland briefs EFTA Standing Committee on EU membership
negotiations
Body text: The EFTA Standing Committee and EEA Joint Committee met in Brussels
on 30 June and 1 July 2011 respectively…
Source: EFTA website
Hong Kong China (see also countries) No comma in EFTA publications.
however Try to avoid starting a sentence with however.
hyphens Generally be sparing with hyphens as they clutter up the text. If in doubt, do
not hyphenate.
The following are hyphenated:
co-decision, co-finance, co-rapporteur, etc
decision-making (adjective) e.g. the decision-making process
15
decision-shaping (adjective) e.g. the decision-shaping process
director-general, directorate-general
in-between
most-favoured-nation (abbreviated to MFN)
re-elect, re-evaluate
secretary-general
third-country (adjective) e.g. third-country relations
a two-day meeting, a three-week stay
the two-pillar structure
up-to-date
user-friendly
Compound adjectives that appear directly before a noun take a hyphen, e.g. Brusselsbased lawyers and cross-border trade.
Further examples of compound adjectives commonly used in EFTA documents:
Before the noun…
After the noun…
trade-related activities
Activities that are trade related
EEA-relevant acts
Acts that are EEA relevant
Hyphens can be used to help avoid ambiguity, for example the following hyphens are
necessary to clarify the sense:
re-cover (cover again) v recover (get better)
re-creation (making again) v recreation (enjoyment)
re-form (form again) v reform (improve)
re-count (count again) v recount (tell)
Maintain the hyphen in official names of organisations where EFTA would not
normally use one, e.g. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (see
also organisations and institutions).
The following are not hyphenated:
audiovisual
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bilateral
contribution in kind
cooperate, cooperation (including joint declarations on cooperation)
coordinate, coordination (including the EEA Coordination Division)
database
decision making (noun) e.g. decision making in the EEA
decision shaping (noun) e.g. decision shaping in the EEA
EEA EFTA
EEA relevance
EFTA at three, EFTA at four
email
EU27
factsheet
forthcoming
incoming
ongoing
online
outgoing, outstanding (see also outstanding)
subcommittee
third country (noun) e.g. negotiations with a third country
upcoming
vice (minister, president, etc)
website
worldwide
There are no hyphens after –ly adverbs, e.g. the newly appointed director, the
publicly held company.
I.
i.e. Used to add explanatory information or to state something in different words.
Separated by full stops, no comma afterwards. Do not italicise.
include Synonyms of to include are to be composed of, to comprise and to consist
of.
17
incoming (see also hyphens) Do not hyphenate.
incorporate/incorporation To incorporate into (e.g. a document) means to include
in. The incorporation of Directive … into (not in) the EEA Agreement.
inform Always takes an object. You cannot simply inform that… You must inform
someone that… e.g. The Secretary-General informed the delegates that…
Alternative expressions that do not need an object: To advise, announce, mention,
report, state that…
inter alia (see also italics) Definition: Among other things. Not italicised.
internal market (see also capital letters) Internal Market always takes initial capitals
when referring to the EEA. The term Single Market is preferred to Internal Market in
EFTA publications.
internet, extranet and intranet Lower case. When talking about the EFTA intranet,
use portal instead.
italics Italics are mainly used to indicate a quotation or rare/foreign words, or to
emphasise text. Avoid using italics for the more commonly-used expressions at EFTA
such as acquis, de facto, inter alia and mutatis mutandis.
its v it’s Its indicates possession whereas it’s is the contraction for it is or it has.
J.
judgment v judgement Preferred spelling in EFTA texts is judgment.
L.
language (see also US English translations) The official working language of EFTA
is UK English. Before working on any document, check that the default language and
spellchecker have been set to UK English.
Exception: If the official name of an organisation or institution deviates from EFTA
style (e.g. World Trade Organization) type the name exactly as it appears on its
website.
18
Take care to use the correct spelling of the following words:
dependent (adjective or noun) v dependant (noun only)
license (verb) v licence (noun)
practise (verb) v practice (noun)
principal (adjective meaning first/main or noun meaning the lead person in a
group) v principle (noun meaning a basic rule or belief)
stationary (adjective meaning not moving) v stationery (noun meaning
writing materials)
Take care of the following when translating from French to English or vice versa:
French
English
actuellement
currently, at the moment (not actually)
adresse
address
correspondance
correspondence
disposer de
to have at one‟s disposal (not to dispose of = to get rid of)
existant
existent
indépendance
independence
médecine
medicine
messager
messenger
négligeable
negligible
négociation
negotiation
réflexion
reflection
responsable
responsible (see also responsible)
tarif
tariff
license (verb) v licence (noun) (see also language) Take care to use the correct
spelling.
19
light Synonyms of in light of include bearing in mind, considering, given, in view of,
keeping in mind, taking into account and taking into consideration.
M.
Macedonia (see also countries) Omit “Former Yugoslav Republic of…” in EFTA
publications.
meeting (see also capital letters) Do not capitalise, e.g. EFTA Ministerial meeting,
unless the word forms part of a heading.
member states (see also state) Capitalise the initial letters when referring to the
EFTA, EEA or EU Member States.
mind Synonyms of bearing/keeping in mind include considering, given, in light of,
in view of, taking into account and taking into consideration.
minister(ial) (see also capital letters) Generally speaking, minister, ministry and
ministerial are written in lower case unless referring to one particular minister.
e.g.
The Norwegian Ministry for Foreign Affairs
The Prime Minister of Iceland
Exception: When referring to EFTA Ministers or EFTA Ministerial meetings, even
generally, always capitalise the M.
minutes (of a meeting) (see also capital letters) Always written in lower case, unless
part of a heading.
months of the year (see also capital letters) Always capitalise.
moreover Synonyms include additionally, also, furthermore and in addition.
most-favoured-nation (MFN) (status or treatment) Hyphenated.
Mr, Mrs, Ms (see also titles of people) No full stop after the title.
20
mutatis mutandis (see also italics) Definition: The necessary changes having been
made. Not italicised.
N.
names (see also foreign words) Wherever possible in EFTA publications, databases,
lists of participants, etc, personal names should retain their original spelling, including
any accents or other characters not normally used in English.
numbers (see also currencies) One to ten are written as words, 11 upwards as
figures. Decimals, dates and percentages are always expressed as figures.
Number
Note
8.5
Decimal point is expressed as a full stop not a comma.
85%
No space between the figure and the percentage
symbol (see also percentages).
8 500
Thousands are separated by spaces, not commas or
full stops.
Tip: To prevent a long number from breaking across
two lines in Word, use a fixed space (ctrl, shift, space)
85 000
Figures of up to a million are expressed as figures.
8.5 million
Million is written out in full.
A billion is a thousand million (not a million million).
Try to avoid starting a sentence with a figure.
The preferred EFTA abbreviation of number is no (not nr) without a full stop (plural
nos), e.g. the EEA EFTA States are ready to adopt Decision Nos 47/2011 to 58/2011
(see also decisions).
O.
ongoing (see also hyphens) One word, do not hyphenate.
online (see also hyphens) One word, do not hyphenate.
21
organisations and institutions (see also abbreviations and acronyms and US
English translations) The name of an organisation or institution should be written
exactly as it appears on its own website, even if this is in US rather than UK English.
Pay particular attention to words such as centre/center, labour/labor,
standardisation/standardization and words with or without hyphens such as
cooperation/co-operation and coordination/co-ordination.
outgoing (see also hyphens) One word, do not hyphenate.
outstanding (see also concerned, hyphens and responsible) One word, do not
hyphenate. Be wary that the meaning of this adjective can change depending on its
position in relation to the noun.
e.g.
Outstanding legal acts (acts that are exceptional)
Legal acts outstanding (term commonly used at EFTA to describe acts that are yet to
be incorporated into the EEA Agreement)
P.
package (see also capital letters) Written in lower case when speaking in general
terms and capitalised when referring to one package in particular, e.g. the EU Climate
and Energy Package.
participation Participation by someone in a meeting or group.
parties (see also capital letters) Capitalise the P when referring to parties (i.e.
signatories) to an EFTA Free Trade Agreement or Joint Declaration on Cooperation, or
in a legal document. Political parties are written in lower case when speaking in
general terms and capitalised when referring to one in particular.
percentages (see also numbers and punctuation) Always express percentages as
figures, never as words. There should be no space between the percentage amount and
the percentage symbol, e.g. 10% not 10 %.
phone numbers (see addresses and telephone numbers)
photos There is no need to insert the wording “from left to right” in photo captions
when there is just a single line of people.
22
phrasal verbs and prepositions A phrasal verb is a set multiword verb, e.g. to look
after or to provide with.
A preposition is a word used before a noun or pronoun to show the relation of one
thing to another in a sentence, e.g. at, by, on, under, within.
The examples below demonstrate the importance of using phrasal verbs and
prepositions appropriately:
The comments drafted by the EEA EFTA States and submitted to the European
Union are EEA EFTA comments on (a subject, regulation, proposal, directive,
etc).
When these comments are addressed and/or submitted to a particular official,
department or institution, they are EEA EFTA comments to …
The following are phrasal verbs and prepositions that appear frequently in EFTA
documents:
Example
Not to be confused with…
To approve, meaning to authorise or
sanction.
To approve of, meaning to have a
positive opinion of.
With a view to, meaning with the aim of.
In view of, meaning in light of.
plurals of words of foreign origin
Singular
Plural
Addendum
Addenda
Annex
Annexes
Apparatus
Apparatus
Appendix (to a document)
Appendices
Bacterium
Bacteria
Bureau
Bureaux
Consortium
Consortia
Corrigendum
Corrigenda
Criterion
Criteria
Curriculum
Curricula
23
Singular
Plural
Forum
Fora or forums
Medium
Media
Memorandum
Memoranda
Phenomenon
Phenomena
Plus
Pluses
Premium
Premiums
Referendum
Referenda or referendums
Symposium
Symposia or symposiums
practise (verb) v practice (noun) (see also language) Take care to use the correct
spelling.
principal (adjective meaning first/main or noun meaning the lead person in a group) v
principle (noun meaning a basic rule or belief) (see also language) Take care to use
the correct spelling.
programme (see also capital letters) Written in lower case when speaking generally
but in capitals when referring to one specific programme.
e.g.
EFTA participation in EU programmes (general)
EFTA participation in the Seventh Framework Programme (specific)
protocols to the EEA Agreement (see also annexes and articles).
publication details (see also footnotes) In footnotes and bibliographies italicise the
title of a publication, such as a book, journal, magazine or newspaper. Do not
underline.
Author‟s name, title (publisher, date)
e.g. David Marsh and Amelia Hodsdon, Guardian Style (Guardian Books, 2010)
punctuation
Commas: A comma is used to divide components of a list, or to help the reader by
inserting a breathing space into a sentence.
24
Colons: A colon is used to precede a list, or to divide a sentence into two parts where
the first part introduces an idea that is resolved by the second. It is not necessary for
the word following a colon to begin with a capital letter, unless it forms part of a
bulleted list (see also bulleted lists).
Percentage symbols: There should not be a space between the percentage amount and
the percentage symbol (see also percentages and numbers).
Semicolons: A semicolon is used to separate components of a list that already contain
internal punctuation. It also provides a partial pause where a full stop would be too
much.
Stops: Use one space after a stop (see also stops). Do not end a heading with a full
stop. Use a full stop within brackets only at the end of a full sentence (see also
brackets).
The following sentence demonstrates the effective usage of several of the punctuation
elements mentioned above:
The Association has two substantive tasks: to assist the EFTA States in negotiating and
maintaining free trade agreements with non-EU countries; and to assist Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway in the operation and development of the Agreement on the
European Economic Area.
Source: This is EFTA 2012
Q.
quotations The preferred EFTA style for the start and end of a quoted section is
double quotation marks “…” For quoted words within that section, use single
quotation marks „…‟
R.
re (see also hyphens) Avoid the hyphen where possible, e.g. rebuild, regain, relaunch.
Exceptions: Before the letter “e” (re-elect and re-evaluate) and where a hyphen is
absolutely necessary to avoid changing the meaning of the word.
regard With regard to a certain subject, not with regards to (you give your regards
to someone). Synonyms include as for, in connection with, in relation to, on the subject
of, regarding, relating to, with reference to and with respect to.
regulation (see also capital letters) Regulation is written in lower case when
speaking in general terms and capitalised when referring to one regulation in
particular.
25
relevant (see also EEA relevant v EEA-relevant) Synonyms include applicable,
appropriate, connected, pertinent and related.
report (see also capital letters) Always written in lower case, unless it forms part of a
heading.
reported speech
A comment made in the present tense is reported in the past tense; a comment made in
the past tense is reported in the past perfect; and a comment made in the future tense is
reported in the conditional.
Direct speech
Reported speech
I am unable to attend today‟s meeting.
He said that he was unable to attend
today‟s meeting.
There has been a misunderstanding.
He said that there had been a
misunderstanding.
I will look into the matter immediately.
He said that he would look into the matter
immediately.
representative A representative of (not from).
responsible Responsible functions solely as an adjective and cannot be used as a
noun:
Incorrect
Correct
The responsible asked members to
submit their contributions.
The official responsible for the
programme asked members to submit
their contributions.
The responsible will look into the matter.
The assistant responsible* will look into
the matter.
* The assistant responsible means the assistant who is responsible for the matter.
When putting responsible before the noun it becomes a positive attribute, e.g. Hannah
is a very responsible assistant. (see also concerned and outstanding)
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan Always list in this order in EFTA documents.
26
S.
seasons (see also capital letters) Written in lower case, unless in a heading.
single market Single Market always takes initial capitals when referring to the EEA.
Single Market is preferred to Internal Market in EFTA publications.
spokesperson (see also titles of people) The person selected to speak on behalf of
others is called the spokesperson. Always written in lower case, unless it forms part of
a heading.
standard sheet (see also capital letters) Always written in lower case unless it forms
part of a heading.
state (see also member states) Written in lower case except when referring to EEA,
EFTA or EU States.
state aid No capitals.
stationary (adjective meaning not moving) v stationery (noun meaning writing
materials) (see also language) Take care to use the correct spelling.
stops (see also punctuation) Stops (.?!:;) are always followed by a single space, not
double.
style
Let your vocabulary be accessible and think about your target audience.
Overburdening a press release with too many technical terms, for example, may put
some readers off. Sprinkling it with just a few of these terms, however, will add a
touch of flavour to the text and capture their interest.
If a document for general release contains a lot of EFTA terminology, e.g.
comitology, pipeline, pre-pipeline, acquis, consider adding a brief explanation to assist
the reader. Alternatively, draw up a glossary of the more uncommon terms and place it
at the end of your document.
Avoid overly long sentences containing too many ideas. For ease of reading try to
stick to one idea per sentence and an average of 15 to 20 words.
27
subcommittee (see also hyphens and capital letters) Do not hyphenate.
Subcommittee is written in lower case when speaking in general terms and capitalised
when referring to one or more in particular (e.g. Subcommittees I-IV).
synonyms for…
bearing in mind: considering, given, in light of, in view of, keeping in mind, taking
into account, taking into consideration
to consist of: to be composed of, to comprise, to include
furthermore: additionally, also, in addition, moreover
relevant: applicable, appropriate, connected, pertinent, related
with regard to: as for, in connection with, in relation to, on the subject of, regarding,
relating to, with reference to, with respect to
T.
tables If the content of a column is predominantly figures, right justify the cells. If the
content of a column is predominantly text, left justify the cells. For the headings,
follow the formatting applied to the content.
e.g.
EFTA activities
2010 Budget
(in CHF)
Trade relations
4 540 000
Managing the EEA Agreement
9 624 000
EFTA/EU statistical cooperation
885 000
Secretary-General‟s services
2 160 000
EU/EFTA and EFTA cooperation programmes
3 471 000
Internal activities
4 330 000
Total EFTA Secretariat
25 010 000
Source: 50th Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association, 2010
task force Two words (abbreviation TF).
telephone numbers (see addresses and telephone numbers)
28
templates
Use the appropriate EFTA template when creating a new document to ensure
consistency in layout. Do not copy from a previous document as important changes
may have been made to the template in the meantime.
tender You can either have a call for tenders (plural) or an invitation to tender
(singular).
tenses
Tense
When to use
Example
Simple past
To express the idea that an action started
and finished at a specific time in the
past.
Ministers discussed the
proposal last week.
Present perfect
To refer to events or situations at an
unspecified time before now.
Ministers have (already)
discussed this proposal
several times in the past.
To show that something started in the
past and has continued up until now.
Ministers have been
discussing this proposal
since 2010.
(Has/have + past
participle)
Present perfect
continuous
(Has/have been +
present participle)
third country v third-country (see also hyphens) Only hyphenated when used as an
adjective, e.g. compare third-country relations with negotiations with third
countries.
times (see also dates) Use the 24-hour clock when writing times in documents, e.g.
the seminar began at 09.00 on 9 June 2011.
Use the words midday, noon (both 12.00) and midnight (00.00) sparingly as these are
mostly used in creative writing.
titles of people (see also capital letters)
It is important to spell the names of people and places correctly and to insert any
accents and symbols in the right place.
Write Mr, Mrs and Ms without a full stop. Use the title Mrs only when you are certain
that this is the title she uses.
29
The person who presides over a meeting is the chair.
The person selected to speak on behalf of others is the spokesperson.
Unnamed individuals should be referred to as he or she, he/she or (s)he and not
simply as he.
At the beginning of a new paragraph, identify a person by his or her name. Thereafter
try to avoid using the personal pronouns he or she more than twice in a row.
U.
US English translations (see also language and organisations and institutions) The
following words should be written in UK English, except where they are quoted from
another source:
US English
UK English
aluminum
aluminium
analyze
analyse
attorney
lawyer
authorize, authorization
authorise, authorisation
canceled
cancelled
catalog
catalogue
cell phone
mobile phone
center
centre
check
bill, cheque
color
colour
counseled
counselled
defense
defence
fall
autumn
favor
favour
finalize, finalization
finalise, finalisation
fulfill, fulfillment
fulfil, fulfilment
garbage
rubbish
30
US English
UK English
harmonize, harmonization
harmonise, harmonisation
honor
honour
jewelry
jewellery
labeling
labelling
labor
labour
liberalize, liberalization
liberalise, liberalisation
license (verb and noun)
license (verb)
licence (noun)
meter
metre (i.e. unit of measurement)
organize, organization
organise, organisation
practice (verb and noun)
practise (verb)
practice (noun)
pressurize
pressurise
program
programme
realize, realization
realise, realisation
standardize, standardization
standardise, standardisation
subway
underground
summarize
summarise
theater
theatre
vacation
holiday
zip code
postcode
V.
versus Abbreviation is v (not vs). No full stop afterwards.
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vice (see also hyphens) No hyphen (vice chair, vice president, etc) unless written in
the official title of an individual outside of EFTA (check on their email signature,
business card or other correspondence). No capitals when speaking generally but
capitalise both words when referring to one person in particular.
view Synonyms of in view of include bearing in mind, considering, given, in light of,
keeping in mind, taking into account and taking into consideration.
W.
website One word, no hyphen, no capital w.
welcome Always takes an object, e.g. she welcomed the news that… (not she
welcomed that…)
working group (see also capital letters) Working group is written in lower case
when speaking in general terms and capitalised when referring to one working group in
particular.
worldwide (see also hyphens) One word, no hyphen, no capital w.
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Annex I
Abbreviations and Acronyms Commonly Used at EFTA
Full name (used on first mention)
Accepted abbreviation or acronym
(once defined)
Acquis Case Handling System
ACS
Agreement on the European Economic
Area
EEA Agreement, the Agreement
Committee of Members of Parliament of
the EFTA Countries
CMP, the Committee
Committee of Members of Parliament of
the EFTA States
MPS, the Committee
Court of Justice of the European Union
Court of Justice, the Court
Decision of the EEA Joint Committee
Joint Committee Decision, JCD
Deputy Secretary-General
DSG
Director-General/Directorate-General
DG
Document Management System
DM
EEA Consultative Committee
EEA CC, the Committee
EEA Council
The Council
EEA EFTA Forum of Local and Regional
Authorities
EEA EFTA Forum, the Forum
EEA Joint Committee
JC, the Committee
EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee
EEA JPC, the Committee
EFTA Consultative Committee
EFTA CC, the Committee
EFTA Council
The Council
EFTA Court
The Court
EFTA Statistical Office
ESO
EFTA Surveillance Authority
ESA
Electronic Communications, Audiovisual
ECASIS
33
Full name (used on first mention)
Accepted abbreviation or acronym
(once defined)
Services and Information Society
EU Emissions Trading Scheme or EU
Emissions Trading System (note that
Emissions is in plural for both)
EU ETS
Euro
EUR
European Central Bank
ECB
European Coal and Steel Community
ECSC
European Community
EC
European Economic and Social
Committee
EESC
European Economic Area
EEA
European Economic Community
EEC
European External Action Service
EEAS
European Free Trade Association
EFTA, the Association, the organisation
European Monetary Union
EMU
European Parliament
EP, Parliament
European Statistical System
ESS
European Statistical Training Programme
ESTP
European Union
EU
Financial Mechanism Office
FMO
Free trade agreement
FTA
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GATT
General Agreement on Trade in Services
GATS
Gross Domestic Product
GDP
Gross National Income
GNO
Gross National Product
GNP
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Full name (used on first mention)
Accepted abbreviation or acronym
(once defined)
Gulf Cooperation Council
GCC
Iceland
IS
Icelandic króna
ISK
Information Management Programme
IMP
International Labour Organization (note
that Organization maintains its z spelling
in this context)
ILO
International Monetary Fund
IMF
Joint declaration on cooperation
JDC
Liechtenstein
LI
Member of the European Parliament
MEP
Member of Parliament
MP
Memorandum of Understanding
MoU
Most-favoured-nation
MFN
National Statistical Institute
NSI
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (note
that Organization maintains its z spelling
in this context)
NATO
Norway
NO
Norwegian krone
NOK
Official Journal of the European Union
Official Journal, OJ
Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (note that Co-operation
maintains its hyphen in this context)
OECD
Records Management Programme
ReMaP
Seconded National Expert
SNE
Secretary-General
SG
35
Full name (used on first mention)
Accepted abbreviation or acronym
(once defined)
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
SMEs
Southern African Customs Union
SACU
Standing Committee of the EFTA States
EFTA Standing Committee, SC, the
Committee
Statistical office of the European Union
Eurostat
Subcommittee V on Legal and
Institutional Matters
SCV, the Subcommittee
Subcommittees I, II, III and IV
Subcommittees I-IV, SCI-IV, the
Subcommittees
Swiss franc
CHF
Switzerland
CH
Task force
TF
Technical Barriers to Trade
TBT
Treaty on European Union
TEU
Treaty on the Functioning of the European TFEU
Union
United Nations
UN
United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe
UNECE
Working group
WG
World Customs Organization (note that
Organization maintains its z spelling in
this context)
WCO
World Trade Organization (note that
Organization maintains its z spelling in
this context)
WTO
For a full list of abbreviations and acronyms used by the EU institutions, see Annex
A4 of the European Union‟s Interinstitutional Style Guide:
http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-5000400.htm#ia4
36
Annex II
Useful Reference Tools
Cambridge Dictionaries Online (Cambridge University Press)
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
EFTA Language and Style at a Glance (EFTA Secretariat, 2011)
(available on the EFTA portal)
David Marsh and Amelia Hodsdon, Guardian Style (Guardian Books, 2010)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide
Interinstitutional Style Guide (Publications Office of the European Union, 2011)
http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-000100.htm
(also available in print by sending an email to:
[email protected])
Oxford English Dictionary Online (Oxford University Press)
http://www.oed.com/public/lookup/
(by subscription only)
Tim Austin, The Times Style and Usage Guide (HarperCollins Publishers, 2003)
World Trade Organization members and observers:
http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org6_e.htm
37