Translating For The European Union Institutions

by Emma Wagner, Jesús Martínez, Svend Bech

The institutions of the European Union employ hundreds of translators. Why? What do they do? What sort of translation problems do they have to tackle? Has the language policy of the European Union been affected by the recent inclusion of new Member States?

This book answers all those questions. Written by three experienced translators from the European Commission, it aims to help general readers, translation students and freelance translators to understand the European Union institutions and their work. Although it deals with written rather than spoken translation, much of the information it gives will be of interest to interpreters too.

This second edition has been updated to reflect the new composition of the EU and changes to recruitment procedures.

162 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2002

About the author

Emma Wagner (M.A. Cantab., Diploma in Translation and Interpreting (Bath), FITI) worked for the European Commission in Luxembourg for 30 years, as a translator, reviser, head of English translation unit and finally as the head of a department covering all EU official languages. Among various sidelines, she helped to manage the integration of new Finnish and Swedish translators in 1995, and she coordinated the 'Fight the Fog' campaign launched in 1998 to encourage Commission staff to write more clearly.

Emma was on the Council of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) for several years and is now ITI's Education Officer. She lives in Brighton, on the south coast of England, with her husband and children.