Lost in Translation: language in European design

Guides and tools
how to do it: arrange for...tools
Lente d'ingrandimento che punta sulla parola traduzione nel''ambito della progettazione europea

10 Jul 2025

The language of European design is not always easy : how to avoid common mistakes.

The words of European design

The use of the “right” words in European planning is one of the issues closest to our hearts. We have devoted an article to this issue, offered some dedicated webinars, and developed a Glossary containing more than 200 keywords, which we keep updated.

Just as when we learn a language, in the world of European projects there are specific words, ambiguous terms, “false friends,” and terms that are untranslatable from one context to another. This problem also emerges when we present projects within different European programs.

Whenever we approach a European project, we must try to understand these language mechanisms and the specific ways in which a term is used, in order to present a project that “speaks the same language” as the funding body. In this article, we will analyze some of the most common “traps,” and provide some practical tips to avoid them.

European design, the “false friends” in the use of terms: Italy vs. European projects

Those approaching European project writing for the first time may come across so-called “false friends”: words that, while similar to terms we know, actually have different meanings. Let’s try two typical examples.

In Italian, the term “Consortium” has a very specific meaning: it is defined at the legal level(Article 2602 of the Civil Code) and identifies a form of cooperation between enterprises for the performance of activities or stages of production.

In the context of European project design, the term “Consortium” has a broader meaning. The Erasmus+ Guide defines Consortium as “Two or more participating organizations coming together to prepare, implement and follow up on a project.” Nothing to do with an agreement between companies only, but something much closer to the more neutral term of “partnership,” as confirmed by our glossary: “Group of beneficiaries (call for proposals) or contractors (call for tenders). It effectively corresponds to a Partnership.”

The term “Beneficiary” used in this definition is another “false friend” that can cause confusion. While in current usage this term denotes one who receives a benefit from a project’s activities, in the context of European projects it can denote a member of the partnership, who receives funds from the European Union to carry out project activities: what we would identify in current usage as the “partner,” not as the “beneficiary” of a project.

Words in European projects can be deceiving, and have multiple meanings.

Different words for the same concepts

The reverse case concerns the use of different words to denote the same concepts (or very similar concepts) within different European programs.

For example, in European projects, it is very common to use the term “WorkPackage” (“work package” or “project component”): in Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Creative Europe and many others, this term denotes a block of activities that are similar to each other, coherent, interdependent or dedicated to the same specific output.

This term is in common usage in many programs, but it does not apply to the CERV program: in this context “Work Package” is replaced by the term “event” because of the participation, awareness and involvement goals typical of the program.

Another example concerns the different terms used to define the convention contracts that the lead organization signs with the European Commission on behalf of the Consortium. In programs such as Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Horizon Europe we speak of a “Grant Agreement,” but in the Structural Funds the agreement is called an “Operation Agreement.” Although they have different names, both documents formalize the roles and responsibilities of the grantee organizations vis-à-vis the Commission and the Managing Authority.

European design and neologisms

Then there are concepts, and terms, that arise specifically within European projects. One example is “ecological schemes” (or “eco-schemes”): a neologism coined within the CAP (the European Common Agricultural Policy) that identifies voluntary measures that incentivize farmers to adopt more sustainable climate, environmental and animal welfare practices in exchange for additional payments. They are specifically designed to incentivize the making of environmental commitments targeted to different production types and territories.

Another example is the term “blended mobility,” or Blended Intensive Programs (BIP): a term that had no meaning outside of very specific contexts, but has become extremely popular within the Erasmus+ program, so much so that it has become a key term in the program. This term refers to a specific format, adopted particularly in the wake of the pandemic, that combines a period of physical mobility abroad with a virtual (online) component, allowing for greater flexibility and accessibility.

The untranslatable words of European design

In European project work, there are several Anglo-Saxon-derived terms that have also been directly adopted into Italian, as they are not perfectly translatable.

This is the case with the word “Deliverable,” which in Italian does not find an unambiguous translation, but is rendered with terms such as “product,” “result,” or “project document.”

“Deliverable” (from the English “deliver”) has a meaning at the same time broader and more specific than its possible translations, related to the specifically project scope. In this sphere, deliverable indicates a specific and measurable outcome of the project (mostly-but not only-in the form of a document), which is to be produced and presented at a given time during the project duration.

Another extremely popular word in European project design is “Milestone,” which can only be partially rendered in Italian as “intermediate milestone.” “Milestones” are significant points or events in a project that mark checkpoints, key deliverables or “enablers” for other deliverables or activities, or in view of the production and acceptance of final results (see glossary). They may correspond to the completion of a key “Deliverable” and enable the transition to a next phase of work.

All this is not exactly easy to render into Italian with a single word. In fact, the term has also been used as such in the context of PNRR management.

Acronyms

Another aspect to pay attention to in European planning concerns the use of acronyms. There are some terms that have been more widely used in the acronym form than in the extended version. In some cases, common usage includes a language-dependent variation of the acronym (as in the trivial example of EU or EU), while in other cases, often as a matter of readability, only the English version is used. This is the case with the Citizens , Equality, Rights and Values program, also known as CERV in the Italian context.

A common case of incorrect use of an acronym, on the other hand, concerns the Next Generation EU (NGEU) program, often “translated” in the Italian context as PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan). In this case, the Italian acronym is sometimes improperly used to define the NGEU program as a whole, while PNRR refers exclusively to the program developed by Italy to manage and use allocated funds, particularly those from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The latter, although comprising about 90 percent of the funds available to the program, represents only one of the instruments of NGEU, so using the acronym PNRR for the entirety of the program (both at the European level and at the level of funding instruments) is improper.

Machine translations

Finally ,problems generated by careless use of machine translations are becoming increasingly common in the European design arena.

We all know, for example, that idioms and idiomatic phrases cannot (almost never) be translated literally, but need in-depth study to find the most adherent version in the target language.

Regarding individual terms, in some cases it may be more appropriate to keep the term in the original language.

English verbs such as “mainstreaming,” for example, in the context of European design, refer not so much to making something “mainstream” (popular, mass), but to the systematic, cross-cutting integration of a specific dimension or perspective at the level of policies, strategies, actions and levels of a project or program. For this reason, the English term is commonly retained (such as in “gender mainstreaming”).

The term “twinning,” literally translated into Italian as “twinning,” in the context of the Erasmus+ program also commonly refers to the initiative launched through the eTwinning platform, (also available in an Italian version) which allows for the development of exchanges and collaborations, mainly online, between teachers from different European Union countries.

It is also interesting to mention that there is also an automated official translation system, eTranslation, developed under the European Union’s Digital Europe program.

European design tips

In conclusion, here are some tips to decrease the possibility of misunderstandings:

  1. Keep an open mind: just as when you are traveling in a foreign country, open yourself to the possibility that words have very different nuances or meanings, without taking anything for granted;
  2. Read a lot: consult official sources, policy documents, industry articles, and any other sources that can help you in improving your mastery of terminology;
  3. Consult glossaries: European programs often publish specific glossaries, to be consulted especially (but not only) when preparing to submit a project;
  4. Read the text of the European notice in the original language: if possible, refer to the original English version of the notice, regulations and forms, and only then, if necessary, consult the Italian version;
  5. Beware of acronyms: consult official sources to locate the correct extended version of the acronym; also be sure to use the version in use in the language in which you are writing the project;
  6. Beware of machine translations: always pair machine translation with direct review and checking that can ensure the accuracy and quality of the content; as specified above, reading a lot helps to understand the nuances;
  7. Examples of funded projects: consult and take examples from already funded projects. You can find them, for example, in the “Projects & Results” section of the Funding & Tenders portal or in other portals for specific programs, such as the “Projects” section of the official Erasmus+ portal;
  8. National Contact Points (NCPs): if you cannot find the information you need to clear a doubt about the specific meaning of a term, remember that there are, for each European program, national contact points (e.g., for CERV, LIFE, Creative Europe for culture and media, APRE for Horizon Europe, etc.) that can provide support;
  9. Attend information sessions: information sessions are organized throughout the year (very often online), in most cases by the National Contact Points, to provide guidance and answer questions about participating in specific funding calls within the different European programs. An excellent opportunity to clear doubts and ask questions directly.

Some useful glossaries and sources for European planning:

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: