Harmonised templates

Notice

From release 3.3 onwards, the individual templates (Core, Standardised & Harmonised) can be found on the ECL as configurations of the structurally merged components (Site header, Page header & Footer), which now have a single, dedicated page. Concurrently, the EWG (Europa Web Guide) has also been updated to better accommodate information regarding the optionality of components & elements per site type. Please follow the corresponding links found in the table below for more information.

Knowledge baseNew location
ECL (Europa component library)EC Site header - Harmonised config.EC Page header - Harmonised config.EC Footer - Harmonised config.
EWG (Europa web guide)Guidelines for EC branded Harmonised website

On this page you will find information related to the EC branded Harmonised group 2 websites that host specific content that answers a particular communication purpose, in particular:

  • Event website - Purpose of advertising a specific or repeatedly occurring activity that is open to the public, organised and/or hosted by the European Commission. Event websites are only allowed for large and complex events that cannot be accommodated by the events content type
  • Campaign website - Providing online communication endeavour dedicated to promoting a single or several thematically linked activities, initiatives, services or products
  • Blogs - Regularly updated websites dedicated to publishing general features and news items about specific European Commission activities

Anatomy

ElementsMandatoryDescription
global banner
yesthe Global banner is the official EU stamp that gives a visual indicator and easy access to EU institutions and bodies sites, guaranteeing the user visits an official EU website
Harmonised site header
yes

the Harmonised site header is present on every page. It communicates the European Commission brand and provides basic structure and guidance. The site header is composed of several mandatory and optional elements such as:

  • European Commission logo
  • Language select
  • Europa search form
  • Menu
Harmonised page header
no

the Harmonised page header gives context and information to the user on what the page is about. It is present on every page, just below the site header, except for the homepage. The page header is composed of mandatory and optional elements such as:

  • Breadcrumb
  • Meta
  • Page title
  • Introduction
Harmonised footer
yesthe Harmonised footer is present on every page. It provides supplementary information such as copyright, legal, privacy, social media, contact information and links to other important sections within the EC ecosystem.

NOTE: On the Page body section, ECL components are optional.

Do's

  • make sure the pages contain all the elements in the anatomy table above

Don'ts

  • do not replace pages only on existing websites as this will create visual inconsistencies, this must be done at a site level

When to use

  • the Harmonised template must be used for all new development and can also be introduced on existing pages to replace a previous template, but this should be done on a site basis, not page by page

When not to use

  • do not follow these guidelines when you are updating sites that fall under the
    Core
    or
    Standardised
    category
  • do not follow these guidelines when you are updating sites that fall under web information systems, network or internal policy websites - use
    Harmonised Group 1
    instead