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Legal notice

Disclaimer

The European Commission maintains this website to enhance public access to information about its initiatives and European Union policies in general. Our goal is to keep this information timely and accurate. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. However the Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to the information on this site.

This information is:

  • of a general nature only and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity;
  • not necessarily comprehensive, complete, accurate or up to date;
  • sometimes linked to external sites over which the Commission services have no control and for which the Commission assumes no responsibility;
  • not professional or legal advice (if you need specific advice, you should always consult a suitably qualified professional).

Please note that it cannot be guaranteed that a document available online exactly reproduces an officially adopted text. Only the Official Journal of the European Union (the printed edition or, since 1 July 2013, the electronic edition on the EUR-Lex website) is authentic and produces legal effects.

It is our goal to minimise disruption caused by technical errors. However some data or information on our site may have been created or structured in files or formats that are not error-free, and we cannot guarantee that our service will not be interrupted or otherwise affected by such problems. The Commission accepts no responsibility with regard to such problems incurred as a result of using this site or any linked external sites.

This disclaimer is not intended to limit the liability of the Commission in contravention of any requirements laid down in applicable national law nor to exclude its liability for matters which may not be excluded under that law.

Privacy policy
Data protection policy, EU data protection regulations, e-services.

Copyright notice

© European Union, 1995-2024
Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, save where otherwise stated.
Where prior permission must be obtained for the reproduction or use of textual and multimedia information (sound, images, software, etc.), such permission shall cancel the above-mentioned general permission and shall clearly indicate any restrictions on use.

Use of the EU emblem by third parties

The principles of use of the EU emblem by third parties have been set out in an administrative agreement with the Council of Europe. This agreement has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 08/09/2012 (2012/C 271/04).

According to this agreement, any natural or legal person ("third-party user") may use the EU emblem or any of its elements, as long as this use

(a) does not create the impression or assumption that there is a connection between the third-party user and any of the institutions, bodies, offices, agencies and organs of the European Union or the Council of Europe where this connection does not exist;

(b) does not lead the public to believe that the user benefits from the support, sponsorship, approval or consent of any of the institutions, bodies, offices, agencies and organs of the European Union or the Council of Europe where this is not the case;

(c) is not made in connection with any objective or activity which is incompatible with the aims and principles of the European Union or the Council of Europe, or is otherwise unlawful.

If the use of the EU emblem complies with the above conditions, there is no need to ask for written permission.

Registration of the EU emblem, or a heraldic imitation thereof, as a trade mark or as any other IP right is not acceptable.

Download the EU Emblem and graphical information

 

Obtain more information on the EU emblem

For information related to the visual and graphical aspect of the EU emblem, contact  COMM-VISUAL-IDENTITYatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (COMM-VISUAL-IDENTITY[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

For legal information related either to the use of the EU emblem, or to a trademark registration/application containing elements of the EU emblem, please contact EC-EU-EMBLEMatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EC-EU-EMBLEM[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)