Principles

Instructions

Accessible style

• Avoid long paragraphs, they are intimidating. Split long paragraphs up.
• Write in short sentences where possible. Do not write long complicated sentences, with many clauses and sub-clauses. They are difficult to read, understand and translate. Often they are not necessary. When reviewing what you have written, do not be afraid to split sentences up. As a rule, aim for an average of no more than 20 words per sentence. Some sentences will naturally be longer, but they should be balanced by shorter ones.
• Keep to one main idea per sentence.
• Never use a long word where a short will do. It is sometimes tempting to use longer or 'more sophisticated' words in the mistaken belief that this will add elegance to what one is writing. Instead, the longer words often hide the true meaning; for instance compare vertically-challenged for short; enhanced interrogation techniques for torture; collateral damage for civilian deaths; exsanguinate for bleed to death; rodent operative for rat-catcher.

• Use fewer words. Some writers seem to avoid expressing things simply, and like to add unnecessary words to sentences – almost as a comfort blanket. These extra words only get in the way of understanding and interest. Some words are simply redundant such as those underlined: Return back; my personal opinion; combine together; advance planning; end result; final outcome; desirable benefits; large in size; future projection.
• Limit the use of jargon and abbreviations. Our reports might potentially contain many different types of jargon, or technical language, such as terms from accounting (commitments), economics (deadweight), and the world of the EU institutions (comitology). In addition, the subject matter audited generally has its own range of jargon, with which we as auditors soon become comfortable. Unfamiliar technical terms in reports can be very off-putting for those not familiar with them. We should therefore minimise the use of jargon in reports, or at least make sure that it is fully explained in the text or in a glossary. When avoiding jargon, the text has to remain sufficiently precise to be understood and acted upon at the working level. Jargon can be avoided by using a simpler alternative. For example, we can write EU law rather than acquis communautaire. However, it is often the case that it is difficult to avoid using jargon perhaps because it would take many words to explain what can be neatly encapsulated in one. In these circumstances, the first time you use the jargon, you can help the reader by explaining what it is you mean: "comitology" – the procedure under which the Commission consults committees or experts when applying legislation. Thereafter, you can use the word comitology, without quotation marks. Abbreviations are also a form of jargon and can be equally off-putting for the non-expert reader. In particular, avoid using an abbreviation if the term in question only occurs once or twice; use the full form instead. Do not abbreviate member state(s) to MS.
• Avoid "nominalising" verbs. Turning verbs into nouns ('nominalising') tends to reduce the clarity and impact of the text, as verbs have more energy than nouns.

• Use 'we', 'us' and 'our' instead of 'the ECA/Court('s)'. This convention is designed to provide a more direct connection with the 'interested but non-expert reader'. It applies to the English language version of documents, as this is the most common drafting language. However, its use may not be appropriate in other languages, which naturally have their own tone and register. It is for the translators to decide on the most appropriate approach to take in each case.

Help understanding the flow

• Indents or bullet points to present lists of items instead of continuous text. Not only do they add variety to the text but, by grouping items so clearly, they help the reader understand the logic of the argument. In fact, as a writer, the habit of looking to group items can help you to see patterns in your findings and can therefore assist in structuring text. Indents can be over-used; reports should not end up looking like shopping lists. When using them, do not have more than about six items in your list, and make sure that you punctuate them consistently. Numbering (i) (ii) etc. or lettering (a), (b) etc. is preferable to bullet points, to make referencing easier.
• Conjunctions at or near the start of sentences, providing they are used correctly, help the reader identify the train of thought such as however, in contrast, although, in addition, nevertheless, similarly. It is also acceptable occasionally to start sentences with and or but.
• proper use of punctuation can help understanding the sentence structure and thus avoid misunderstanding.

Conclusiveness

Clarity

• Preferring the active to the passive. The use of active verbs and real subjects helps to avoid ambiguity as regards who is doing what. Often this is a crucial piece of information, particularly important for the subjects the ECA writes about, where there may be a number of parties involved such as the Commission, the member state, national and regional agencies, beneficiaries. If the identity of the agent is not clear, readers of the report not familiar with the mechanics of the European Union budget may not understand which organisation is under the spotlight. However, there are infrequent occasions when using the passive might be preferable, for instance when the receiver of the action is more interesting or important than the agent: 'One of the most controversial members of the European Parliament has been interviewed by press'. Furthermore, the passive takes energy away from what is said. All other things being equal, using the active voice tends to have more impact than the passive. Martin Luther King did not say: "a dream was had by me". Aim for a proportion of no more than 20 per cent of passive sentences (see readability statistics).
• Avoiding misused ECA terminology.

Consistency

• Reports and opinions should follow the publication rules set in the ECA publication quick guide and where relevant the interinstitutional style guide. Ensuring the compliance is usually the task of assistants. Report-writers or assistants can use dedicated style checklists to verify that the rules were followed.
• Use 'the ECA' (with the article) instead of 'the Court'. The use of the term 'the Court' as a short form of our name in our published documents risks causing confusion, particularly with readers less familiar with our institution or EU context. As such, 'the ECA' should be used in all externally-focused texts and documents, after first defining the acronym with the first full use of the name in the text. This approach helps reinforce our identity, reflects the already wide use of the acronym and provides consistency with our website address and email suffixes.
• Use consistent and accurate terminology. For example, when referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, terms like Coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak, pandemic have their established meaning. Coronavirus is the family of viruses, of which the latest strain ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2’ (SARS-CoV-2) forms part, and causes the disease COVID-19 (a contraction of ‘coronavirus disease 2019’). The term ‘outbreak’ should be used to refer to the start of the pandemic (e.g. ‘since the outbreak of COVID-19, x and y has occurred’), or ‘pandemic’ to refer to its continuing state (e.g. ‘the COVID-19 pandemic is causing severe pressure on public services’). The term ‘pandemic’ can be used alone for subsequent references, after it is introduced as ‘COVID-19 pandemic’ at the beginning of a paragraph or short section. (NB: The preferred spelling of the name of the disease is COVID-19 with all letters capitalised.)

Resources

Tools

Styleguides and checklist