Linguistic policy of this site

General policy

The aim of this website is to provide as much content as possible in all 24 official EU languages. While this remains a priority, the Court must also take into account the practical limitations of its available resources. In some circumstances, information is therefore made public only in a limited number of languages.

To assist with understanding, if a page has not been translated, automatic translation is available through the translation button. The Court does not guarantee the quality of the automatic translations provided. They are intended as an aid to understanding only.

Information pages

All the principal information pages on the Curia website are available in all 24 official EU languages. These pages include those outlining the work of the Court, how it is organised and functions, and information about the Members.

When navigating the site if a page exists in your chosen language it will automatically be displayed in that language.

Procedural documents

All documents necessary to prepare and lodge a case before the Court are available in all 24 EU languages.

News pages

Because of the short time-frame between drafting and posting news items on our site, it is not possible to provide human translation. Automatic translation is, however, available through the translation button.

Judgments and Opinions

Most of the judgments and Opinions of both the Court of Justice and the General Court are translated and are available on the website in all 24 languages.

However, some judgments are not translated. These are judgments in cases which do not raise particularly complex or important questions.

Any judgments that are not translated into all languages will be available on the website in the language of the case and the language in which it was drafted, which is usually French.

Which decisions are translated into all languages?

Court of Justice

Since 1 May 2004, as a general rule, the following are available in all languages:

• Judgments of the full Court and of the Grand Chamber
• Judgments delivered in preliminary ruling proceedings
• Judgments delivered in cases other than preliminary ruling proceedings where an Advocate General’s Opinion has been delivered
• Opinions delivered pursuant to Article 218(11) TFEU

General Court 

From September 2005, unless decided otherwise by the formation of the Court concerned, the following are translated:

• Judgments of the Grand Chamber
• Judgments of Chambers of five Judges
• some judgments of Chambers of three judges – the formation of the Court concerned decides on a case-by-case basis

Which cases are only available in the language of the case and French?

Court of Justice

Unless decided otherwise by the formation of the Court concerned, the following are, as a rule, not translated:

• Judgments delivered in cases other than preliminary ruling proceedings by Chambers of three or five Judges ruling without an Advocate General’s Opinion
• Orders

On rare occasions, a preliminary ruling given by a Chamber of three or five judges is not translated. Since September 2011, it has been possible for the Chamber to decide not to translate such judgments.

General Court

Unless decided otherwise, the following are not published in the Reports:

• some judgments of Chambers of three judges – the formation of the Court concerned decides on a case-by-case basis
• Judgments of the General Court ruling by a single Judge
• Orders involving a judicial determination such as closing a case or closing a request for interim measures

Press releases

Most press releases are available on the website in at least the language of the case, French, and/or English. The choice of languages is based on an evaluation of the interest in the case.

Other resources on the site

A large number of resources on the website are available in all 24 languages. These include

• the Year in Review
• the Yearly Selection of Major Judgments
• Case-law Fact Sheets

In the interests of transparency, the Court also makes available a wide variety of other legal resources. These are often resources that have been prepared for the Court’s own internal needs. These documents are made available in the language versions that exist.

These resources include:

• the Digest of Community Case Law (French)
• the Monthly Case-Law Digest (French and English)
• Research notes (French and, for the most part, English)
• Decisions of national courts of interest for EU law (available in the languages supplied by the national court)
• Proceedings of conferences and events (available in the original language of the presentation)