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Conference of Translation Services of European States (COTSOES)
COTSOES was established:
To foster exchanges of information and experiences in areas of common interest.
To assist Member Services with translation, interpretation, terminology and language technology issues
To promote cooperation among language professionals in the public service.
Member Services / Participating Services
56 services from 22 different countries are members of COTSOES. Central government translation, terminology and/or interpretation services from States outside Europe and from intergovernmental organisations may attend the Assembly as Participating Services, but are not entitled to vote. Representatives from services and institutions other than Member or Participating Services may, at the invitation of the Presidency, attend the proceedings of the Assembly as observers. The Rules of the Conference were established in 1982 in Bern in English, in French and in German. They have last been revised in 2021.
Working Groups
Most of the work of the Conference takes place within its Working Groups. There are four Working Groups:
Coordination and Communication
Human Resources
New Technologies
Terminology
Assembly
The Assembly meets every two years in ordinary session. The Presidency is elected in the Assembly for a period of two years, and the outgoing Presidency assists the new Presidency to ensure continuity. The principal duties of the Presidency are:
Drawing up the agenda for the Assembly
Organising and directing the activities of the Assembly
Circulating the decisions and recommendations adopted by the Assembly as well as the working groups’ reports
Preparing an account of the activities of the Conference
The 23rd session of the Assembly took place in Helsinki on 11 and 12 September 2025, chaired by the Finnish Units at the Translation and Language Division, Government Administration Department, Prime Minister's Office. From 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027, the Presidency will be held by the FCDO Services Translation and Interpreting of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London.
Working Languages
The working languages of the Conference are English, French and German. If the Presidency is unable to arrange interpretation at the Assembly, it can request assistance from Member Services. The working groups’ reports are prepared in all three languages.
COTSOES Presidency
The 2026-2027 Presidency is held by the Translation and Interpreting team of FCDO Services, part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom. We were delighted to take on this role and are excited to collaborate with the Working Groups and Member Services over the course of our two-year Presidency. We look forward to valuable exchanges of experiences and best practices at the COTSOES Assembly in London in 2027.