Wrangling the Wyverns of Words: How to Cite EU Directives in MLA (and Not Get Burned)
Ah, the glorious world of EU Directives. Pages upon pages of legalese designed to unify a continent under a single banner of... well, legalese. But fear not, intrepid researcher! You've battled through the jargon, unearthed the nugget of information you need, and now comes the fun part: citing it all properly in MLA format. Buckle up, because this might get a touch more exciting than deciphering a treaty on turnip quotas.
The Dreaded Double-Date
First things first, you've gotta grapple with the daunting date system of EU Directives. Unlike your friendly neighborhood history book, these guys like to play a game of "who's on first?" with their publication dates. Pre-2015 directives put the year before the number (think of it as the directive's birth year), while their younger siblings (post-2015) like to flaunt the year after the number (think rebellious teenager phase).
Here's the cheat sheet to avoid chronological confusion:
- Before 2015: Council Directive 2004/42/EC (notice the year before the number)
- After 2015: Directive (EU) 2016/2338 (year chilling after the number)
Easy, right? Easy-ish.
Official Journal Odyssey
Next, we delve into the fantastical realm of the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ). This is basically the EU's law gazette, a place where all their official pronouncements, from directives to regulations, go to live. For your MLA citation, you'll need to include the series (L for legislation, C for treaties), the issue number, and the page number where your directive resides. Think of it as navigating a labyrinth, but with slightly less risk of being eaten by a Minotaur (hopefully).
Here's an example to illuminate the path:
Council Directive 2001/11/EC (2001). Official Journal L 114, pp. 15-20.
See that? We've got the directive info, followed by the Official Journal in bold, then the series (L), issue number (114), and page range (15-20).
In-Text Citations: The Finishing Touche
Now, for sprinkling your paper with those delightful in-text citations. Here, you can simply use the directive number in parentheses, like a tiny legal eagle keeping watch over your arguments.
For example:
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (2012/19/EU) aims to reduce electronic waste.
Voila! You've successfully cited an EU Directive in MLA. Now, go forth and conquer your research paper, valiant scholar! Remember, with a little humor and these handy tips, even the most bureaucratic beasts can be tamed. Just don't get lost in the labyrinth, and maybe avoid any angry turnip farmers on your way out.
