ECB/ESCB Legal Conference 2026

Panel 5 Preparing the legal form: the ECB as part of multilevel legislative drafting This panel will examine cooperation in shaping the form of the law. The discussion will explore interinstitutional cooperation at the EU level in legislative drafting, revision and translation, which represents a core yet often underexamined - dimension of EU governance. The panel will draw on concrete practices, such as interinstitutional coordination on drafting (including the Interinstitutional Group on the quality of drafting, GRITL, and the Commission’s ‘Quality of Legislation’ frameworks), and language-based linguistic networks, to reflect on broader principles governing the form of legislation. It will consider how coherence is ensured in a system where multiple institutions contribute to the production of legal acts, as well as the role of shared practices and professional networks in maintaining consistency and authority across languages and legal forms. The discussion will also explore the impact of recent pressures to simplify legislation. Against this backdrop, specific attention will be given to the unique features of ECB legal acts compared to those of other EU institutions. The discussion will shed light on how institutional mandates influence legal form and drafting practices, including the implementation of ECB Guidelines at the national level. Chair: Daniel Sarmiento Ramirez-Escudero, Professor, Universidad Complutense of Madrid Panellists: Helen Xanthaki, Professor, University College London, Faculty of Laws, Maria Mousmouti, Associate Research Fellow, University of London Polya Mihaylova, Head of Unit Legal Services, European Commission Cristina Perez Cajal, Deputy Director of Legal Department, Banco de España