1. LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING GUIDANCE AND TRAINING IN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
William Robinson
2008
Legal Revisers Group

2. How EC legislation is drafted
Roles of the EC institutions:
Commission, Council, Parliament
Drafting in the European Commission:
First draft by technical experts
Consultation
Revision

3. Drafting Guidelines (1998)
Suggestions from Member States
Adopted by Parliament, Council and Commission
22 Guidelines:
General principles
Specific parts of acts
Practical Guide

4. General principles
1. Community legislative acts shall be drafted clearly, simply and precisely.

5. Specific parts of acts
22. Technical aspects of the act shall be contained in the annexes, to which individual reference shall be made in the enacting terms of the act and which shall not embody any new right or obligation not set forth in the enacting terms.
Annexes shall be drawn up in accordance with a standardised format.

6. Joint Practical Guide (2000)
The author should attempt to reduce the legislative intention to simple terms, in order to be able to express it simply. In so far as possible, everyday language should be used. Where necessary, clarity of expression should take precedence over felicity of style. For example, the use of synonyms and different expressions to convey the same idea should be avoided.

7. Drafting training Who is it for?
Drafters, Legal Revisers, Translators
Given by Commission Legal Revisers since 2001
Practical

8. Content of training Commission procedures Basic principles
Drafting rules
Parts of an act
Exercises

9. LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING GUIDANCE AND TRAINING IN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
William Robinson
2008
Legal Revisers Group