Goal: Present the EU-wide initiative to improve how institutions write.
Clear Writing for Europe is an EU-wide initiative started in 2010 to help civil servants write more clearly and understandably. It brings together staff from different EU institutions who share one goal: making communication more citizen-friendly.
The idea behind the initiative is simple but powerful: people have the right to understand what public institutions are saying. Yet too often, official documents are filled with jargon, long sentences, or abstract terms. Clear Writing for Europe trains staff to avoid these traps and focus on reader-friendly communication.
The initiative offers practical tools, including writing guides, checklists, and training sessions in multiple languages. It encourages staff to write with the reader in mind, test documents with non-experts, and choose words that are precise but not overly technical.
This isn’t just an internal project—it sends a message across Europe. If the EU can promote plain language across all its institutions and languages, it sets an example for Member States and shows that clear communication is possible, even in complex contexts.
By improving the way EU institutions write and speak, Clear Writing for Europe contributes to accessibility, trust, and transparency. It helps make the EU more open—and more human.
Sources
Clear writing for Europe. (2024, May 23). European Commission.