The process of BiH accession to the EU also involves translation of legal acts and other documents significant for understanding and meeting obligations therefrom. The Directorate for European Integration of BiH translates documents necessary for work of the bodies established under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, such as discussion papers for the meetings of the subcommittees and the Stabilisation and Association Committee, minutes and recommendations from these meetings, annual BiH Report, etc. 

The Directorate coordinates the translation of BiH legislation into English language and checks quality of these translations in accordance with the Decision on the procedure for aligning legislation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the EU acquis (Official Gazette of BiH, 75/16 and 2/18). Translation of the national legislation into English is a part of the acquis alignment process. The legislation being aligned must be translated before the European Commission can give its opinion on the compliance. Legislative drafters are in charge of translation and field terminology review, while the Directorate is responsible for translations’ quality control.  

Consistent use of the filed terminology is essential in the legal translation process, with terminology harmonisation table being the most significant tool thereof. This table is drafted by the Directorate in cooperation with filed experts from line institutions. In order to keep the harmonised terminology in one place and ensure its consistent application, the Directorate established the multilingual terminology database - BiHterm.

Translation handbooks and manuals

Manual for Translation of BiH Legislation into English

The manual is intended for those who deal with translation of national legislation into English, but it can also be a useful tool for all those writing different kinds of documents in English. It contains simple instructions and practical examples for translating legislation into English. In addition, the manual contains a Style Guide for Translating Legislation in BiH into English, as well as a bilingual list of the names of institutions and bodies of the legislative, executive and judicial branches in BiH. 

Methodology for translation and review of legislation translations in BiH into English

The Methodology details the steps of the legal translation process, including the approach to translation, legal revision and filed terminology review. Description of each phase is accompanied by practical examples in order to illustrate the importance of precise and consistent translation. The Methodology is intended for those who translate and revise legal texts into English language.

Guidelines for translation of documents into English in the European integration process

The Guidelines are primarily intended for those who translate official documents into English language in the European integration process. The Guidelines provide for an overview of the basic translation rules to achieve high-quality and consistent translation. Also, it offers examples of common mistakes and literal translations, and tips on how to avoid them.