Clear, consistent terminology is essential for legal certainty, coherence and effective multilingual communication across the EU.
Every term matters for translators, terminologists, legal drafters and anyone working with EU texts, because terminology influences the interpretation of legal provisions and compliance with obligations.
What is multilingual terminology work?
Multilingual terminology work is about making sure concepts are expressed consistently across all languages. This process generally starts when a translator or terminologist encounters a new or complex term in a particular field.
Terminologists research the term, come up with a precise, neutral definition, and document it for consistent use across languages. Once validated, the term is visible to the public in IATE (Interactive Terminology for Europe), the EU’s terminology management system. IATE contains around 600 000 records (each covering a single concept), with more than 6 million terms.
Why terminology work matters for the EU
Words carry weight. A single mistranslation can cause confusion, delays or loss of rights.
Our multilingual terminology work
- supports legal certainty across the EU
- helps translators deliver accurate texts efficiently
- facilitates transparent communication with EU citizens and businesses
- improves the reliability of machine translation and other language technologies.
What DG Translation does
Our terminology coordination team handles terminology projects within IATE. Most of these projects involve key concepts that appear in ongoing DG Translation assignments.
Other types of terminology projects include
- post-translation and thematic projects – useful for future translations in the same domain
- consolidation projects – keeping IATE data reliable
- separate cleaning projects – removing outdated content from IATE.
We also promote high-quality terminology practices by
- connecting an internal network of terminologists
- promoting effective terminology tools and methods
- sharing expertise through training and workshops.
Who we work with
Multilingual terminology is a collaborative effort. DG Translation works closely with
- other EU institutions via an interinstitutional network of terminologists and terminology coordinators
- subject-matter experts, legal drafters and national terminology centres
- external contractors for targeted projects in highly specialised technical domains.
How multilingual terminology is created
A term typically moves through these steps.
- 1. Detection
A translator or terminologist identifies a concept (often scientific or technical)
- 2. Research
Evidence is gathered from EU texts, standards and authoritative sources, plus external experts where needed
- 3. Concept clarification
A fit-for-purpose definition is drafted, in line with legislative usage
- 4. Data entry
The research results and the definition for the source language are recorded in IATE
- 5. Finding equivalents
The correct equivalent terms are identified in the target languages and recorded in IATE
- 6. Review
Content added to IATE undergoes a validation cycle
- 7. Publication
Once the content has been validated, it becomes visible in IATE to all involved – drafters, policymakers, translators and the public – for consistent reuse
How language professionals can contribute
Language professionals, researchers and public administrations can help improve IATE by giving feedback – this contributes to consistent communication and high-quality entries.
From the full entry view in IATE, you can submit feedback on the entire entry or on a specific language.
EU terminologists review all feedback and incorporate suggestions wherever feasible.