Junk the jargon

This list is not prescriptive — it just shows which EU terms might (for non specialists) be jargon and
how they could be expressed more clearly. Technical terms can’t always be avoided, but relying solely
on jargon does not aid communication. You could try adding some clearer alternative wording or brief
explanation of the concept.

Technical/jargon term Possible alternatives

acquis (communautaire) EU law (and practice)

actors stakeholders, interested groups, bodies, organisations, parties,

(overused, due to the influence of French) participants, interests, interest groups, players, those involved,
operators

capacity building training, developing (staff and structures)

civil society interest groups, nongovernment bodies or institutions, non-state

bodies, social and economic organisations/groups

cohesion balanced (economic) development

college ‘the Commissioners’

This usage of ‘college’ is very rare in English

competence, competencies remit, portfolio, brief, area of responsibility, jurisdiction, powers,

authority

complementarity interplay (between)

disseminate distribute, share, spread, communicate

enterprise company, firm, business

entity organisation, body

ex ante / ex post upstream, prior, advance / downstream, subsequent

harmonise(d) standard, standardise(d), EU-wide, consistent

horizontal general, cross-cutting, generic, universal, across the board,

umbrella

human capital people, staff, workers

(Can also indirectly refer to e.g. education/training, skills
development)

instrument (overused, due to the influence of French) scheme, programme, fund

inter alia (rephrase as:)

etc., a number of, including, partly, such as, for example

Translation
labour market jobs market
In phrases, consider replacing ‘labour market’ by ‘jobs’ or ‘work’.
E.g. ‘women seeking or in work’ instead of ‘female labour market
participation’

legal framework laws, legislation, (legal) rules

mainstreaming implementing in law and practice, establishing across the board,

in all policies

Member State EU country (99 % of people don’t distinguish)

mobility transport context — travel, personal mobility

single market context — moving around Europe (to live, work,
Essentially a false friend from French — in English, mobility is study or retire), relocation, migration (for work)
associated more with the physical ability to move (often in the education context — study/training abroad, academic exchanges
context of physical injury or disability).

modalities arrangements, terms of, procedure, detailed rules

multiannual financial framework medium-term EU budget, multi-year budget, 7-year EU budget,

forward budget planning

pillar strand, plank, (core or central) element/priority

provisions rules, laws

Schengen area border-free travel area, no-border zone

social dialogue labour relations, industrial relations, employee consultation,

staff-management negotiations/relations, consultation between
Neither the term nor the concept are widely used in non- management and labour/employers and workers
specialist English.

social partners employers and (trade) unions, employers and workers, employers
and workers groups

specificity special feature, specific feature, unique feature

stakeholders ‘groups affected by (EU) policy (on xxxxx)’/ groups concerned,

involved, partners

synergies pooling resources, being more cost-effective, working effectively

in collaboration, working better together, economies of scale

thematic issue (or subject)-based, issue (or subject)-specific

third countries non-EU countries, countries outside the EU, partner countries,
trading partners (in economic context)

threshold (overused, due to the influence of French) maximum amount, limit, ceiling (amount), cap

transpose incorporate/write/convert/translate into national law

Union (overused, due to the influence of French) EU (the established short form in English)

vade mecum handbook, manual, guide

Translation