What editors do
Editors provide their services on request at different stages of the drafting process. They:
- edit core policy documents, draft legal acts and web pages, making them clear, accurate, concise and consistent
- advise Commission staff on how to structure and present their documents and web content before they start drafting
- carry out quick clarity checks
- provide training, guidance, online resources and practical tips to help colleagues write clearly
- organise clear language events to raise awareness
- organise the annual Clear Language Awards – celebrating excellence in clear, effective communication across the Commission
Documents editors work on
- EU legal acts
- draft EU policies for consultation with EU decision-makers and the public
- summaries of EU legislation
- calls for evidence (for public and stakeholder feedback on EU laws or policies)
- draft reports on major EU policies and other official EU documents
- external communication, including web and social media content
Tools editors use
- tools for assigning, tracking and delivering editing requests, and handling documents in the Commission’s decision-making process
- word processing tools – for formatting and style changes
- consistency-checking tools
- tools and guides for drafting legal acts
- Interinstitutional style guide and style guides specific to the European Commission
- IATE (InterActive Terminology for Europe) – the EU's multilingual terminology database
- EUR-Lex – the EU legislation database
- Legislative Observatory – the European Parliament's database for monitoring the EU decision-making process
- Document registers from other EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU)
This page was last reviewed on 14 August 2026