Embedded third-party tools and services

Background

This section covers the rules and guidelines applicable to websites, which need functionalities or services not included in the list of corporate solutions. A contractor – called third-party here - provides these functionalities or services embedded in European Commission websites.

Third-party tools and services

• Tools installed on Commission infrastructure but not developed in-house. 

  Content produced by data visualisation tools, such as charts, infographics, storytelling webpages (EU Login required) or similar services, must be embedded within a fully compliant Europa webpage. This means, the page must follow the EC branded harmonised or EU branded harmonised websites design rules.    

  Such visualisations must not be published as standalone URLs or shared via direct links. All dashboards and similar interactive content must be embedded within a contextualised webpage to ensure visual consistency, coherent user experience, and compliance with the European Commission’s corporate web identity, data protection and accessibility rules. The direct link to the embedded content must not be visible on the page.

• Commercial platforms/services that are beyond the control of the Commission (e.g. YouTube videos, social media feeds, etc.) 

  These must be embedded via the Cookie Consent Kit (CCK) (EU Login required), containing the blue overlay.  

  Using third-party tools and services entails the following risks 

  • privacy and data protection: third party products often use permanent cookies and other methods of data collection without a fully transparent consent mechanism 

  • business continuity: the European Commission has no influence over maintenance 

  • legal uncertainty: terms of use can be changed without notice 

  • dependency: Commission webmasters have no control over these tools 

  • limited accuracy assurance: providers can change data collection without notice, and use differing methods to collect data 

  • security: undesired redirections or malware 

  • endorsement: their use can be considered as implicit endorsement by the European institutions, which is a breach of competition rules

Rules

DGs and executive agencies must use the corporate solutions as default tools and services. Contact COMM Europa Management (EU Login required), whose DG COMM Europa Team will help you assess the site’s needs, choose amongst existing corporate solutions or, as a last resort, provide advice regarding a potential third party.

Procedure

Start with checking the list of corporate solutions and proceed as described in the page of the solution you have chosen.

If there is no corporate solution available for what you need, please send an in-depth needs assessment and justification for a third-party solution to COMM Europa Management (EU Login required) who will advise on the best tool or service to use.

Third party products/services which require IT investment

When the use of a new IT tool/service/platform requires IT investment, you must follow the IT Investment assessment process (EU Login required).

Contact your DG’s IT Portfolio Manager (PM) (EU Login required) for more information.

Third party products/services which cannot be embedded

Please read the third-party platforms page and follow the procedure described when

• the service provided by a third party cannot be embedded on a europa.eu site, and
• requires the use of a separate, publicly accessible instance hosted by the contractor.

Data protection

You must comply with the Commission data protection Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 when you process personal data as part of any task relating to the development of the European Commission's web presence.

See our page about data protection for more information.

Accessibility

Web accessibility is about ensuring that everyone, including people with disabilities, such as visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments, is able to use and interact with websites and applications. 

To achieve this, the European Commission is making a particular effort to make its corporate solutions compliant with the Web Accessibility Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/2102) while there is no guaranty that a third-party solution would be accessible. For more information, please read our section about accessibility. 

Related links

• Iframes (europa.eu)
• Corporate solutions
• Using cookies on EUROPA sites
• Data protection
• Third party platforms 
• Accessibility