Brussels Bubble jargon: Do you speak EU?

English is the language that oils much of the inner workings of the European Union -- but it's not always English as you might know it.

Specific adaptations, and borrowings from other languages, are used to designate processes and forums inside the bloc's corridors of power.

Here is a little guide to "Bubblespeak" -- the jargon employed by Brussels' bureaucrats:

"Brussels"

An alternative word to describe EU policymakers, collectively. Not to be confused with the Belgian capital, which occupies the same location but operates on a different political plane.

"The Bubble"

The Brussels ecosystem of EU officials, lawmakers and journalists, who all know the shorthand set out in this guide.

"Coreper"

This one's a French acronym. It stands for the "Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the European Union". It's where all the ambassadors get together.

"The Council of the EU"

The EU member countries meeting at ministerial level to make decisions across various portfolios.

"EUCO"

For "European Council", meaning the summits that bring together the leaders of the EU member countries. Held every couple of months. The president of the European Council, currently Charles Michel, acts as summit chairperson.

"Eurogroup" and "Ecofin"  

Meetings of the EU's 27 economic and finance (Ecofin) ministers, which usually feature a parallel session of the ministers from the EU countries using the euro (Eurogroup). Twenty of the European Union's 27 countries use the single currency.

"ECJ"

The European Court of Justice is the EU's supreme court. It sits within the Court of Justice of the European Union system, which also comprises the lower-ranking General Court that rules on cases dealing with companies and individuals. Based in Luxembourg.

"HRVP"

The "High Representative/Vice President" is the EU's top diplomat, the bloc's foreign minister if you will, who also serves as one of the European Commission's vice presidents. Currently the post is held by Josep Borrell.

"Non-paper"

A head-scratching term meaning an informal document put forward within one of the EU institutions that does not represent an official position. A member country pressing for a policy change, for example, may present a "non-paper" for discussion.

"President" and "EU Presidency"

The EU has many presidents. The title attaches to those with executive powers -- think the president of the European Commission, currently Ursula von der Leyen -- as well as to those who are convenors: the European Council's Michel, or the president -- speaker -- of the European Parliament, currently Roberta Metsola. 

There is also the "EU Presidency", which is what each member country takes turns holding for six months, letting them set meeting agendas for ministers over that time.

"QMV"

"Qualified Majority Voting" is how issues are often -- but not always -- decided at EU level. The QMV thresholds are 55 percent of the member countries voting in favour, representing 65 percent of the bloc's population -- as long as there isn't a blocking minority of four member countries voting against. Some key EU issues (sanctions, trade deals and membership to the bloc, for instance) require unanimity, not QMV.

"Rule of Law"

In EU terms, the collection of the bloc's laws, rules and democratic norms all member countries must abide by. Hungary is seen by both the commission and parliament as a rule-of-law outlier, though it contests that interpretation.

"Sherpas"

A term used in political hubs the world over, not just in Brussels. These are behind-the-scenes officials who do the grunt work organising summits, thus letting their political masters swoop in without worrying about the details. The word is borrowed from the Tibetan ethnic group whose people often act as helpers and guides for climbers scaling Mount Everest.

"Spitzenkandidat"

A German word, obviously. It means the lead candidate promoted by each of various political groups in the European Parliament who they would like to see named by EU leaders as the next European Commission president. Von der Leyen, for instance, is the "spitzenkandidat" of her European People's Party, gunning for a second term.

"Trilogue"

A Brussels word for a negotiation session between representatives of the three institutions that have power over EU laws: the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament. Like a dialogue but with three parties involved.