5.1.1. Components

Each of the four cover pages has distinctive components.

tip:

See also the A quick reference guide.

Each of the four cover pages has distinctive components.

The front cover carries the name and emblem of the editor, the title of the publication and, if appropriate, the subtitle and the name of the author (particularly in the case of co-editions).

  • Title. This should be short, striking and meaningful. In the case of an annual report or a study relating to a given period, the year or period forms an integral part of the title or subtitle.
  • Subtitle. The title of the work may be supplemented by a subtitle in smaller characters.
  • Editor’s emblem. This appears only on the front cover.

  • Author’s name. If it appears on the front cover, it should also appear on the title page.

    NB:

    The title of a directorate-general of an institution or body must not appear on the front cover, except for Eurostat and the Publications Office. However, it may be included on the title page.

  • Volume number. If there are several volumes, they should be numbered in Roman numerals.

The inside front cover remains blank.

The inside back cover carries a publicity notice.

The back cover shows the selling price, if applicable, the Publications Office emblem, the ISBN (international standard book number) and the catalogue number.

  • Selling price. The basic price for each publication is fixed in euro. All the prices printed on the covers of publications and in catalogues appear in the following standardised form:

    Price (excluding VAT) in Luxembourg: EUR …

  • The Publications Office emblem. The emblem appears at the bottom of the back cover. The name ‘Publications Office of the European Union’ appears in one of the EU languages for single-language publications and in several languages for multilingual publications.

Specific norms for periodicals or series

In serial publications, the ISSN (international standard series number) is included with the aforementioned items. It is printed in the top right-hand corner of the front cover.

It should be noted that some periodicals have no cover as such. In these cases, the title of the periodical, along with the number and year, must appear on the front cover. In some cases, the inside front cover and the inside back cover are used for a summary of the contents. The yearly publication cycle should coincide with the calendar year.

The prices (subscription and individual issues) are given on the back cover, together with the catalogue number and the Publications Office emblem.

Front cover


Front cover

ISSN

Title

Year

European emblem

Editor

Inside back cover (publicity notice)


Inside back cover (publicity notice)

Back cover


Back cover

1. Catalogue number

2. Emblem of the Publications Office

3. ISBN

4. Selling price