Eurojargon: A Dictionary of European Union Acronyms, Abbreviations and Sobriquets (6th ed.)

Citation

Turner, R. (2002), "Eurojargon: A Dictionary of European Union Acronyms, Abbreviations and Sobriquets (6th ed.)", New Library World, Vol. 103 No. 1/2, pp. 72-75. https://doi.org/10.1108/nlw.2002.103.1_2.72.4

For anyone who has to deal with European Union documentation in any format, and this probably includes most information professionals at some stage, this dictionary is a godsend.

A major problem is that most European documentation assumes the reader already knows what all the acronyms, such as EUREKA, EULEGIS, EURADA, etc., are. As a non‐technical information worker who has had to grapple with European funding and legislative documentation, I have often longed for a comprehensive glossary of the acronyms and abbreviations.

The author acknowledges that not every abbreviation in European Union documentation is included, either because it is so general that it will be in a general dictionary of abbreviations or because they have simply been missed because of the massive and diverse nature of the beast. Some entries have a wider context than just the European Union, such as organisations recognised by the European Union.

The whole work has excellent cross‐referencing, which is more essential than usual in this case, so that, for example, “48 HOUR Directive” is cross‐referenced to “SEE WORKING TIME Directive”.

Entries for many of the organisations and projects include useful Web site addresses. Any references to official texts are cited in brackets after the description.

There is a useful appendix of the postal addresses of publishers and electronic hosts, plus a brief bibliography.

A vital issue in accessing and handling European Union material is currency. New projects are constantly being introduced and replaced, while the nomenclature of organisations and their projects also is prone to change. This is the sixth edition, published in 2000, but the book’s bibliographical details give no indication of when previous editions were published to show how often it is updated. The work will certainly need updating every two or three years, ideally annually. However, the work does include entries that are no longer in use and these are clearly indicated by an asterisk. Ramsay also clearly states that the currency of the information should always be checked.

The editor defines the readership as a wide range of users including specialist consultants in European Union information, academics, librarians, journalists, local authority staff and civil servants, economists and politicians, plus the delightful addition of “those with a penchant for serendipity”. At £35, it is worth central public libraries having a copy in their reference section. The book would also be a worthwhile investment for any organisation that makes regular use of European Union documentation.

Reading through this work makes you giddy with the range and volume of organisations, projects and programmes emanating from the European Union. It must surely be impossible for anyone to have a comprehensive understanding of all the Eurojargon included in this dictionary – a fact which makes the book important. That there are even acronyms that relate to two very distinct projects; for example, STRIDE or ECIP, heightens the need for a clear and current guide to the jargon. This work is a powerful tool to accessing and understanding European Union documentation.