Why translation quality matters
High-quality translation supports the EU’s commitment to multilingualism. By providing texts in all 24 EU official languages, the European Commission enables EU citizens, businesses and public authorities to access EU legislation, policies and public information on equal terms.
Quality translation contributes to transparency, legal certainty and democratic participation across the EU.
As the Commission’s translation service, the Directorate-General for Translation (DG Translation) produces texts that are accurate, clear and fit for purpose in every EU official language. Whether we are translating legislation, policy documents or information for the public, we adapt each text to the needs of our readers.
Our translation quality system
DG Translation’s quality system establishes uniform principles and requirements applicable to all EU official language pairs.
It consists of
- a quality management framework
- translation quality guidelines for different types of text
- guidelines for evaluating the quality of outsourced translations
- language-specific guidelines.
Key quality principles
A risk-based approach
DG Translation’s structured approach to quality management centres on assessing and mitigating quality risks.
For every translation project, the potential impact of translation errors is identified and the likelihood of such errors assessed.
The consequences of a translation error depend on the document type. For example, errors in legislation may have legal or procedural consequences, while errors in policy or communication documents may affect understanding, credibility or public trust.
The likelihood of errors is assessed based on factors such as time pressure, resource availability and translator expertise.
Higher-risk texts call for more experienced translators and more extensive quality checks than lower-risk texts. This approach helps maintain high standards while using resources efficiently.
Focus on readers
The text’s purpose and intended audience shape the translation process. A fit-for-purpose translation conveys the same meaning and effect as the original text while reading naturally in the target language.
Achieving fit-for-purpose translations requires more than linguistic accuracy. Translators also take account of context, drafting and language-specific conventions to produce texts that are clear, coherent and appropriate for their readership.
When translating a text, DG Translation considers
- the type of document and its risk profile
- its intended use
- the needs and expectations of readers.
This approach ensures that translations are both accurate and easy to understand for their target audience.
Expert linguists
DG Translation relies on highly skilled translators who work across a wide range of legal, political and technical fields.
They work with subject-matter experts and terminologists to maintain consistency and accuracy across languages and policy areas.
Quality control
Building on the relevant international standard, quality control in DG Translation includes
- revision – a bilingual process where a “second pair of eyes” compares the translation with the source text to verify accuracy and completeness
- review – a monolingual process where a “second pair of eyes” focuses on clarity, tone and suitability for the intended audience.
Tasks are assigned according to the translator’s expertise, language combination and subject area. The choice between revision or review depends on the complexity and sensitivity of each document.
Expertise and professional development
Our translators’ competencies include
- knowledge of EU law and policy
- mastery of source and target languages
- familiarity with relevant text types and subject domains
- cultural awareness and editorial skills
- proficiency in research methods and translation tools.
Training and continuous professional development help maintain high standards across all language communities. This includes developing skills in the responsible use of language and translation technologies, while keeping human expertise at the centre of the translation process.
Translation value chain and continuous improvement
Translation quality is built into the entire translation process.
Our translation value chain consists of activities before, during and after the task of translation itself – from identifying requesters’ needs to preparing terminology. DG Translation monitors quality through benchmarking and internal reviews, and shares lessons learned across language communities. This helps to improve consistency, identify good practices and support continuous learning.
Translators play an important role by providing feedback, promoting knowledge sharing and helping to maintain the Commission’s institutional voice across languages.
Roles and responsibilities
Translation quality is a shared responsibility within DG Translation.
The key roles are:
- Quality management coordinator – monitors the implementation of DG Translation's quality management policy, coordinates quality management activities across language communities and handles quality-related issues in cooperation with quality officers
- Quality officers (one per language community) – undertake quality management activities at language level and contribute to DG Translation-wide activities
- Heads of department – coordinate the implementation of DG Translation's quality management policy within the language communities in their department
- Heads of translation units / workflow managers – assess the risk level of translation requests and implement appropriate risk mitigation measures
- Translators – produce fit-for-purpose translations, perform quality control (revision or review), evaluate outsourced translations
- Translation assistants – carry out formal quality checks
Translation errors in European Commission's legal acts
Despite extensive quality controls, occasional errors may occur in Commission acts.
Every correction request is examined. If the error is significant enough to merit a formal correction, it is rectified by means of a corrigendum, adopted in a new procedure. Corrigenda to Commission acts are also published in the Official Journal.
If the error affects the substance of an act or a provision, it is rectified by means of a correcting act.
This page was last updated on 18 June 2026