LegisTracerEU
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Three Ways to Use LegisTracerEU

Whether you work in a browser, prefer a desktop app, or stay inside Trados Studio — LegisTracerEU fits into your workflow.

The Core Requirement: Verbatim Precision

Translating for EU institutions is not like general translation. When the European Commission assigns a project, it provides a mandatory list of reference documents — specific legislative acts identified by their Celex numbers — that must be consulted throughout the translation. Quotations from legal acts must match the official published text word for word. Paraphrase is a quality defect.

What this means in practice: During a typical assignment, a translator may need to locate and verify dozens of precise citations across multiple legal acts — often under time pressure. Each search costs time. Each misquote costs quality score points. The only way to maintain both accuracy and speed is fast, scoped, full-text search directly in the required reference corpus.

LegisTracerEU is built specifically for this use case: give it a list of reference documents, and it searches inside it — instantly, in any EU language combination.

Search EU Law Directly in Your Browser

The web interface is the fastest way to get started — no download, no installation. Open the search page in any browser, select your source and target languages, and enter a phrase or sentence to look up. LegisTracerEU will search the full body of EU law and return highlighted matches and direct links to the source documents on EUR-Lex, where you can see the results in wider context.

Best for: Quick lookups, occasional searches, trying out the service, or any situation where you cannot install software.
1

Select Working Languages

Click to open the Search page and choose your source and target language from all 24 official EU languages.

Language selector on the LegisTracerEU web interface
2

Enter Search Phrase and Click Search

Type or paste any word, phrase, or sentence fragment into the search box. Start with Fuzzy Search to see more results or use Phrase Search for exact matches.

Search input field on the LegisTracerEU web interface
3

View Results

Each result shows the matching passage in both languages with your search terms highlighted in context. Click the EUR-Lex link for the full document.

Search results with highlighted matches and EUR-Lex links
4

IATE Terminology

To search for official EU terminology, click Search IATE. Look up approved terms with definitions, domain classifications, and multilingual equivalents.

IATE terminology search on the LegisTracerEU web interface

Try the Web Search Now

Simple email registration for the free trial — get 7 searches per day.

Open Web Search View Pricing

Full Power, No Browser Required

The LegisTracerEU Windows desktop application provides all the features of the service in a fast, dedicated interface — no browser needed. It is available for free download from the Microsoft Store and works immediately in trial mode. After entering your subscription email and passkey in the Setup tab, the full feature set unlocks.

The app is organised into four main tabs: Search, IATE Terminology, Setup, and Upload References. Search results are displayed in a multi-column, multi-language layout with up to three language columns side by side, plus an integrated IATE sidebar for immediate access to the official EU terminology.

Best for: Professional daily use. Higher search volume, custom collections, multi-language result columns, IATE integrated alongside law results — all in one window.

Search Modes

  • Smart Search — combines phrase and fuzzy matching automatically; this is the preferred search option

If it does not give suitable results, try other search strategies using:

  • Flexible Search — tolerant multi-word matching
  • Phrase Search — exact or near-exact phrase search

These three options search in the Collection selected in the Search Collection dropdown for assignment-specific, most relevant results.

  • Global EU Law Search — broadest search across the entire EUR-Lex database
Search modes toolbar in the LegisTracerEU Windows app
Key feature: The most relevant results come from searching within a Custom Collection scoped to your current assignment — not the entire EUR-Lex database.

Use Custom Collections for the Most Relevant Results

Go to the Upload References tab and create your own Custom Collection.

Upload References tab in the LegisTracerEU Windows app

Example

Let's say you are working on an assignment concerning anti-dumping duties on glass fibre fabrics. To get the most relevant results, create a Custom Collection containing these documents — enter the Celex numbers under Upload References:

  • 32016R1036
    Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Union
  • 32016R1037
    Regulation (EU) 2016/1037 on protection against subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Union
  • 32020R0492
    Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/492 imposing definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of certain woven and/or stitched glass fibre fabrics originating in the People's Republic of China and Egypt

Click one of the Search buttons and get the most relevant results based on the documents in your Custom Collection.

Search results scoped to a Custom Collection in LegisTracerEU

Download the Windows App

Free trial — just enter your email to start. Available in the Microsoft Store.

Download from Microsoft Store Installation Guide

EU Law Search Inside Your CAT Tool

The LegisTracerEU plugin for Trados Studio 2022 and later brings EU law and IATE terminology search directly into your translation environment. The plugin panel docks anywhere in the Studio layout and operates without switching windows or applications. It is signed by RWS and can be installed easily by following this guide.

As you navigate through segments in Trados Studio, the plugin can automatically fire a search for the current segment content. You can also select any text, right-click, and choose LegisTracerEU Search, or assign a keyboard shortcut (e.g. Alt+Down Arrow) for instant access without leaving the keyboard. Results from EUR-Lex and IATE appear in the results panel.

Best for: Professional translators working in Trados Studio who need EU law references without interrupting their translation workflow. Zero extra keystrokes per segment when automatic search is enabled.
Prerequisite: The LegisTracerEU Windows App must be installed and running for the Trados Studio plugin to work.

Automatic Segment Search

  • Fires a search each time you navigate to a new segment
  • Results appear in the panel without any manual action
  • Works with your active Custom Collection or full corpus
  • Panel can be docked, floating, or pinned in Studio

Manual Search Options

  • Select any text → right-click → LegisTracerEU Search
  • Configurable keyboard shortcut (recommended: Alt+↓)
  • Type any phrase directly in the results panel
  • Switch between EUR-Lex search, IATE, or Custom Collection
Trados Studio with LegisTracerEU plugin panel showing EU law and IATE results

Install the Trados Plugin

Signed by RWS. Compatible with Trados Studio 2022 and later.

Plugin Installation Guide View Pricing