21 February 2024, Brussels, Belgium

The finale of the Multiple-Module capacity-building Program crafted by the Directorate-General for Translation (DGT) of the European Commission and ReSPA, brought together in DGT HQs in Brussels over 40 participants to achieve excellence in translation and transposition of the acquis. Participants (public servants) from the Translation Coordination Units of the Western Balkans and Trio (Georgia, Moldova Ukraine), went through an ambitious programme with 6 different modules as of September 2023 which was “crowned” today with the final Module in Brussels. They had the opportunity to learn, discuss and share practices with the in-house staff and peers of the DGT on quality management in the translation process, terminology, usage of technology and artificial intelligence, etc.  

Mr Christos ELLINIDES, Director-General for Translation, European Commission, and Mr Adrienn KIRALY, Director of Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, along with Director Maja HANDJISKA-TRENDAFILOVA, set the stage and delivered the keynote speeches.

“We at ReSPA were happy to facilitate the whole program, co-work with DGT for the case study sessions identifying various topics, and moderate the lively discussions - serving as a hub for knowledge exchange and learning. We also learned a lot from this programme. Translating the EU acquis is beyond just a linguistic exercise; it's a critical step towards fostering understanding, alignment, and cooperation. It paves the way for our countries to integrate into the European Union successfully, benefiting and contributing to the shared values, economic opportunities, and stability that membership offers. We stay devoted to strengthening the capacities of the public sector across the region and thus contribute to implementing public administration reform and a broader reform agenda. With this and many other initiatives, we are proud to be making our marked contributions to this end,” said Director HANDJISKA-TRENDAFILOVA at the opening.

Christos ELLINIDES emphasised that access to legislation is an essential part of the rule of Law and this access is ensured through the translation of legislation in all the languages. He also stressed that translation lays the foundation of the decision and policy-making process of the EU Institutions. 

Adrienn KIRALY, highlighted that the Union, the WBs and the Trio should make sure to maintain the current momentum in the enlargement process since it remains one of the most essential geostrategic investments of the Union - in this regard, she added, we all should not forget that translation of the acquis is a key component of the accession path.

Commencing with the “Western Balkans Conference on the Translation of the acquis” on the European Day of Languages, following an intense three-month journey encompassing six Modules, the Masterclass attracted esteemed representatives from DG Translation, who provided expert guidance on diverse facets of acquis translation. Mrs Merit-Ene ILJA, Deputy Director-General (acting) of the DGT, moderated the Masterclass, making sure to sum up the main takeaways after each session.

Director of DG Translation Marja HENNESSY and dynamic Quality managers - Ingemar STRANDVIK, Alessandra DE MARTINO, and Marcin KOTWICKI illuminated the path to Quality Management in the translation of acquis, ensuring a captivating and insightful experience.

Maria RZEWUSKA-WALIGORA, Head of the Terminology Coordination Unit, explored the crucial aspects of Terminology concerning the acquis. Zoran ZAKIĆ, Adviser 'Language Applications', dived into the world of CAT Tools, elevating the understanding and skills in translating through this exceptional guidance from industry experts.

Participants were awarded Certificates of attendance as proof of their dedication and growth, marking the successful completion of this transformative journey!

Special thanks to the core team who jointly designed and coordinated the whole programme: Josefine Hederstroem, Claudia de Stefanis from DGT and Genti Xhaxhiu, our programme Coordinator.