Overview
As the European Commission moves to a unified web presence, staff are being given access to the content management system (CMS) of the ec.europa.eu/info site (the European Commission website). This allows them to manage their web content. The CMS logs all changes made to the website, as well as the user who makes a change.
The European Commission website (former ‘info site’) has been built according to a pre-determined structure (architecture) comprising many levels.
The homepage of the Commission site is considered to be level 0. Child pages of the homepage are considered to be level 1. Child pages of level 1 pages are considered to be level 2 pages and so on in rising numerical order the deeper into the Commission site the user goes.
Principles
All content on the CMS is under the responsibility of one or more Commission departments.
The following principles apply
- DG Communication is responsible and owner of level 0-1-2-3
- From level 4 onwards the relevant departments are responsible for the content in the class(es) to which they are assigned
- CMS users should not make changes to content that is not under their responsibility
- If a CMS user is not sure whether or not content is their responsibility, they should contact the assigned web coordinator for the EC website of their department
Levels 0-1-2-3
DG Communication is responsible and owner of level 0-1-2-3.
If you would like to request a change on those levels, please follow the change request process.
From level 4 onwards
From level 4 onwards the relevant departments are responsible. Content can be created, updated and removed by the department that owns it. Examples are page updates, inclusion of a new content type such as an event. DG Communication keeps a validator/reviewer role.
However, the following rules apply
- no content transformation of another website to the European Commission site can be done without explicit approval from DG Communication
- content must follow rules and guidelines on web writing and content types (EU login required)
- it is not technically possible to modify components or content types. If a department identifies a need for this, they should contact Comm Europa Management
- access to content classes is restricted via so called editorial teams/group audiences (EU login required). Each department only gets access to those editorial teams in which they have a stake. If a department needs access to another editorial team, they should contact Comm Europa Management and CC the respective account manager
- the ‘content ownership’ field in the CMS identifies the department(s) that own(s) the page/node. CMS users should not make changes to nodes not owned by their department
- if DG Communication updates/creates or removes content from level 4 onwards the relevant department(s) will be informed before the changes are published
Shared content
- content shared between departments should be co-managed by the relevant departments
- in case there is no agreement on shared content, the account manager and the web coordinator of a class’ lead (DGs) should be contacted. If necessary, the situation can also be escalated to the respective editorial working group.
Changing content
CMS users should not make changes to content that is not under their responsibility. This includes
- editing the content of a page, whether it is published or still in draft mode. This includes adding, changing or deleting text, links or other elements like files, announcements, images, etc.
- changing the moderation state of a page (publishing a page that is currently in draft, un-publishing a page that is published, etc.)
- deleting a page or node
- changing the information architecture by adding, deleting or moving pages, or by editing parent/child relationships between existing pages
If a CMS user discovers an error on the Commission site, they should first contact the content owner (i.e. the person responsible for the content).
If a CMS user is discovered to have erroneously done any of the above, it is their responsibility to discuss it with the content owner and, where necessary, ensure that the content is reverted to its original state. Please note that in the case of deletion, this is particularly time-consuming and complicated for all parties. CMS users should contact Comm Europa Management if they need help in correcting an error.
How to access the CMS
Access and editing permissions are granted only once you have completed the required online CMS training course.
More on the training course and how to Get access to edit content on the /info site
Contact and Support
Need further assistance on this topic? Please contact the team in charge of Europa Domain Management (EU Login required)