Multilingual translation in EU law and the interpretative role of the Court of Justice of the European Union

The concept of EU multilingualism is a fundamental aspect of the European Union's legal framework, with 24 official languages in use. This linguistic diversity poses both challenges and opportunities, particularly in the realm of legal interpretation. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) plays a pivotal role in navigating these complexities. According to the CJEU, it is necessary to compare the various language versions of legal acts in order to determine their meaning. However, this presumption of uniformity of meaning between languages clashes with the inherent limitations of language (since the transposition of EU directives into the national policies of the Member States) resulting in occasional differences in interpretation between the various language versions of EU legislation. This dissertation explores the impact of multilingualism on EU law and institutions and analyses the intricate relationship between EU multilingualism and the CJEU's interpretative role. It examines how the CJEU addresses issues stemming from linguistic divergences through various techniques. The CJEU's interpretative methods are crucial in bridging the gap between the legislative procedure, which originates in one language, and the subsequent translation into all official languages. This comparative study seeks to shed light on how the CJEU's approaches contribute to the pursuit of uniform meaning (trying to ensure the effectiveness and coherence of EU legal provisions in a linguistically diverse Union) and on what obstacles the CJEU faces.