Rule 6 - Multilingualism
Content
1. Rule
The site should normally be at least bilingual, French and English
2. Justification
Not every member of staff is capable of reading both French and English. However, almost all staff is able to communicate fluently in one of these two languages.
Thus, information necessary for all staff must be made available in both languages. On the other hand, useful information and that of a « nice to know » nature can be disseminated in just one of the two languages.
An example: In an EC delegation, a local agent handling mission accounts, should have access to administrative instructions relating to missions in both English and French, and thus having a genuine choice between the two languages
3. Description
3.1 Multilingualism
Principle
General information and administrative instructions should be published in English and French. Specialised information or news-related information may be published in only one of these languages.
3.1.1 General information and administrative instructions
The first levels of any site or sub-site should be available in the two languages mostly used within the Commission. Likewise, reference material, general information and instructions of an administrative nature, that all staff are supposed to read or consult when necessary, should be in EN and FR.
This applies to the following pages/information/documents:
- The home page of a site or sub-site
- Stable information of long lasting interest
- Administrative instructions and messages
However, it is often best to publish as soon as one language version is ready and then subsequently add the alternative version, rather than to postpone publication, awaiting the availability of both language versions.
3.1.2 Specialised information and news-related information
Specialised information and news-related information need not necessarily to be disseminated in two languages.
This includes the following pages/information/documents:
- Technical information
- Information for a restricted audience, e.g. Minutes of meetings
- Newsletters and on-line journals
- Timetables, events, conferences
3.1.3 Mixture of languages on the same page
As a general rule languages must not be mixed on one and the same page
However, internally in the Commission, documents in mixed languages are often seen as a compromise between mono-lingualisme and bi-lingualism. Thus, when it is well justified this rule may be set a side for specific types of information.
This includes the following pages/information/documents:
- Newsletters and on-line journals, e.g. « Commission en direct »
- Noticeboards
- «What's new » pages
3.2 File-naming conventions
See chapter 3, Architecture, on how to indicate the language version in a file-name
