The British guide to what the French really mean has a narrower aim: it was written specifically for officials attending the meetings of the European Union's Council of Ministers, where diplomats haggle over legal texts.

ECONOMIST: Decoding a Euro-diplomat takes more than a dictionary

This week the European Union's Council of Ministers failed to agree on one important proposal, and accepted another that may actually undermine rather than foster innovation.

ECONOMIST: The EU's attempt to harmonise patent law is in a mess

Despite the fact that only a minority of the 27 support it, the European Union's Council of Finance Ministers adopted the proposal in January 2013.

BBC: Pounds and euros