Overcapitalisation can make your text cluttered and harder to read, especially on screen.
When writing for the web, it is better not to use capital letters to give prominence to
A good rule of thumb when writing in English is that names and titles (proper nouns) are capitalised, whereas common nouns are not.
Instead of … | … write |
several Directorates-General are responsible for action on climate change | several directorates-general are responsible for action on climate change |
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) | common agricultural policy (CAP) |
Consumer Rights Directive | consumer rights directive |
Council Presidency BUT German presidency of the Council | Council presidency (general) German Presidency (initial capital for specific presidencies) |
Environment Summit | environment summit |
Environment White Paper | environment white paper |
European Year of Equal Opportunities | European year of equal opportunities |
the Directive on Consumer Rights | the directive on consumer rights |
Information Society Technologies | information society technologies |
Staff Regulations of Officials and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities | Staff regulations of officials and conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities (Initial capital for titles of EU documents) |
Synopsis of the Work of the Court of Justice of the European Communities | Synopsis of the work of the Court of Justice of the European Communities |
If you require further assistance, please contact:
European Commission
DG Communication
Unit B.3
Europa Web Communication
The Europa Web Guide is the official rulebook for the European Commission's web presence, covering editorial, legal, technical, visual and contractual aspects.
All European Commission web sites must observe the rules and guidelines it contains.
Web practitioners are invited to observe its contents and keep abreast of updates.
More information about the web guide.