Drafters of laws and amendments should use software solutions based on open standards to allow interoperability, recommends a study written for the European Commission. This will accommodate the difference between drafters producing texts and those who work on existing texts, including publishers, translators and parliamentarians writing amendments.

"The need of freedom of drafting is as important as the need to comply with a structure", writes the author of the report, Clémentine Valayer, a consultant at IT firm Trasys.

The report ends the first phase of the LEOS project (Legislative Editing Open Software) of the European Commission's ISA programme. The study gives an overview of how legal texts and amendments are drafted across the EU, analysing sixteen tools in fourteen member states, Switzerland and the European Parliament.

The study describes the efforts to define a standard for legislative drafting. It points out how collaboration may help drafters to improve their methods. It advises the use of an XML schema, for instance Akoma Ntoso, an emerging standard being developed by the OASIS standardisation organisation.

According to the research, most legislative bodies are either moving to XML or considering moving to XML-based solutions. Almost half of EU parliaments and chambers uses XML for some legislative documents. Nearly the same number plans to introduce XML.

The study was presented at the European Parliament on Thursday 3 May during a workshop on the use of XML in drafting legislative texts.

For its second phase, the LEOS project is considering two proofs of concept. The first will export drafted legal texts to XML, the second will amend or consolidate existing XML files.

More information:
Legislative Editing Open Software (pdf)
Workshop on XML based tools for legislative tools
Earlier Joinup news item on OASIS standard for legislative text