2.2.2. Recitals
Recitals set out the reasons for the contents of the enacting terms (i.e. the articles) of an act.
Recitals set out the reasons for the contents of the enacting terms (i.e. the articles) of an act.
Recitals are introduced by the word ‘Whereas:’. They are numbered and each sentence in each recital starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, except the last sentence of the concluding recital, which ends with a comma.
(a) Recitals are presented as follows:
Whereas:
Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 establishes common rules for the decennial provision of comprehensive data on population and housing.
In order to assess the quality of the data transmitted to the Commission (Eurostat) by the Member States, it is necessary to define the modalities and structure of the quality reports.
[…]
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the European Statistical System Committee,
In the text, recitals are cited as follows (figures without brackets):
recital 1, recital 2, etc.
(b) Where there is only one recital, there is no indentation or numbering. ‘Whereas:’ is on a line of its own. The recital ends with a comma:
Whereas:
In order to cover the needs in statistics for the relevant detailed topics set out in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1700, the Commission should specify the number and titles of the variables for the dataset in the use of information and communication technologies domain for reference year 2023,
Until 6 February 2000, recitals began with a capital letter and ended with a semicolon (this method of laying out recitals is still used in certain Council acts):
Whereas the Commission …; (for the first and subsequent recitals)
Whereas the opinion …, (for the concluding recital)
As these recitals were not numbered, they were referred to as the first, second and third recital, etc.
In some texts (in particular those concerning anti-dumping), the recitals were introduced by the formula ‘Whereas:’, the recitals were numbered and every recital had a capital letter at the beginning and a full stop at the end (which has become the general practice.)
There was a transitional period between December 1998 and 6 February 2000 when both ways of structuring the recitals were accepted.
In European Parliament resolutions on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget, published in the L series, citations are preceded by a dash and, instead of being numbered, recitals are lettered:
—having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Police College for the financial year 2008,—having regard to the Court of Auditors’ report on the annual accounts of the European Police College for the financial year 2008, together with the College’s replies,—having regard to the Council’s recommendation …,A.whereas the College …,B.whereas the Court of Auditors in its report on the annual accounts of the College …,