Judge: Plain English Champion — Best Individual or Team

Head of editing and clear writing unit, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium

Rosie ter Beek is the head of the European Commission’s editing and clear writing team, which aims to improve the readability and clarity of the Commission’s written output. She has worked for the European Commission for 17 years, starting as a translator into English from 9 EU languages before joining the clear writing team in 2015.

Rosie is one of the driving forces behind the Commission’s clear writing campaign. She is a passionate believer that the EU’s success lies in its ability to communicate its work effectively to the public, as well as to experts.

Rosie’s work at the EC involves:

• organising and delivering training to teach colleagues how to use plain language rather than bureaucratic officialese
• giving talks about the benefits of clear language whenever she’s given the opportunity
• sending weekly clear writing tips to almost half the Commission staff
• helping to run the Commission’s own clear writing awards.

And she loves penning clear writing-related songs and poems to liven up the campaign!

A keen runner and cyclist, Rosie sees parallels between sport and promoting clear writing: bringing about lasting change is definitely a marathon rather than a sprint. But then she’s always been one for endurance races!

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