Guidelines on the use of logos and links to the Europa web site - FP6 - Research

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Guidelines on the use of logos and links to the Europa web site

There are frequent questions asked about the use of EU logos and the possibility of making a link to the EUROPA website from project and other websites. So here are some guidelines to answer at least some of those questions.

Framework Programme Logos

For general guidelines on the use of logos see the following FAQ:

What are the rules governing the use of Framework Programme logos?

The European emblem

The European emblem is used by the Council of Europe as well as of the European Commission and other institutions and organisations of the European Union.

The criteria agreed upon between the Council of Europe and the European Commission provide that the European emblem may be used by third parties only if is not:

likely to create confusion between the user and the European Union or the Council of Europe;
linked to aims or activities incompatible with the principles and objectives of the European Union or the Council of Europe.

In the case of EU-funded projects:

logos that are developed for projects funded by the EU, and that are not owned by the EU, may not be identical or similar to the European emblem (this includes logos that incorporate the twelve stars);
the European emblem should be given appropriate prominence when displayed in association with a logo;
contractors are exempt from the obligation to obtain prior permission from the Commission to use the emblem, but are subject to the general third-party-use restrictions mentioned above. This tacit authorization to use the European emblem implies no right of exclusive use. It does not permit the appropriation of the emblem, or of any similar trade mark or logo, whether by registration or by any other means.

Further detailed information on the EU emblem can be found on the Europa web site (see the Graphical Manual section for details of colours, proportions, use on different types of background etc.).

Europa Website Links

When making a link from your own websites to EUROPA (http://europa.eu) please kindly respect the following rules:

a) Links should be made only to pages which display the short hypertext notice referring to the disclaimer and copyright notices:

IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE. The information on this site is subject to a disclaimer and a copyright notice.

(Almost all the pages of the Research web site, where you are now, have this disclaimer; on the most recent pages this is under a link simply saying Important Legal Notice.)

b) If links are made from a frames-based web site, the pages should not be displayed as frames within that website in such a way that users might thereby misunderstand the true origin of the pages.

c) When accessing the EUROPA pages via a link, it should be perfectly clear to users that they are viewing information which is not exclusive or dependent on a fee for access.

d) Whenever links to EUROPA are established from another website, be it via textual links or by means of logos or trademarks owned or licensed by the European institutions, they should not be put in a context which could make users believe that the European institutions endorse or in any way support the objectives or contents of the other website or of the organization managing it.

e) As soon as a link has been established, please notify the web team immediately by transmitting the URL of the page where the link appears. This will enable them to check if the above guidelines have been respected.