etsi-drafting

ETSI Deliverable Drafting

Use this skill for ETSI-specific document structure, deliverable conventions, and concrete Word style names. For formatting rules (headings, enumerations, notes, tables, figures, citations), see sdo-docx-formatting. For officecli operations (tab-run injection, field codes, bookmarks), see sdo-docx-operations.

Assets

ETSI provides deliverable skeletons (Word templates) for each type via the editHelp! website at https://portal.etsi.org/edithelp/home.asp. These contain all required styles and structural elements. Always start from the appropriate skeleton for the deliverable type being drafted. Do not add new styles or modify existing ones.

Downloaded skeletons (assets/)

File	Deliverable type	Notes
ETSI_ES_skeleton.docx	ES (ETSI Standard)
ETSI_EN_skeleton.docx	EN (European Norm)
ETSI_TS_skeleton.docx	TS (Technical Specification)
ETSI_TR_skeleton.docx	TR (Technical Report)
ETSI_EG_skeleton.docx	EG (ETSI Guide)
ETSI_SR_skeleton.docx	SR (Special Report)
ETSI_GS_skeleton.docx	GS (Group Specification)
ETSI_GR_skeleton.docx	GR (Group Report)
ETSI_hEN_Directive_skeleton.docx	hEN (Harmonised EN under Directive)
ETSI_hEN_Regulation_skeleton.docx	hEN (Harmonised EN under Regulation)

Upstream refresh URL:

• https://portal.etsi.org/Services/editHelp/Standards-development/Drafting/Skeletons

Template selection rule

• Always start from the skeleton matching the target deliverable type.
• If unsure which type applies, ask the user.
• The skeleton contains all required styles; do not create new styles or rename existing ones.

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ETSI deliverable structure

Per the ETSI Drafting Rules (EDR), an ETSI deliverable follows this order:

Unnumbered preliminary elements (informative):

• Cover page (title, deliverable type, version, date, logos)
• Contents (generated)
• Intellectual Property Rights (provided by Secretariat -- do not modify)
• Foreword (TC that prepared it; optional: relationship to other docs, superseded docs, technical changes from previous version)
• Transposition table (EN only -- provided by Secretariat)
• Modal verbs terminology (provided by Secretariat -- do not modify)
• Executive summary (optional)
• Introduction (optional)

Numbered core:

1. Scope
2. References (2.1 Normative, 2.2 Informative)
3. Definitions of terms, abbreviations and symbols (3.1 Terms, 3.2 Symbols, 3.3 Abbreviations) 4+ Technical content

Supplementary:

• Annex A, B, C... (normative): title -- integral part of the deliverable
• Annex (continued lettering) (informative): title -- non-integral
• Bibliography (optional)
• Change history (required for EN HS; optional otherwise)
• History (provided by Secretariat)

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Key drafting rules

Requirements language

Verbal form	Meaning
shall	Mandatory requirement
shall not	Prohibition
should	Recommendation
should not	Recommendation against
may	Permission
need not	No requirement
can	Possibility or capability (informative only)
cannot	Impossibility (informative only)

Each requirement should be: necessary, unambiguous, complete, precise, well-structured, consistent, and testable.

Clause numbering

• Arabic numerals from 1 (for Scope)
• Up to 6 heading levels (e.g. 5.1, 5.1.1, 5.1.1.1, ...)
• If subdivisions exist, at least two at each level
• Never mix numbered and unnumbered subdivisions at the same level
• To insert between existing clauses: use alphanumeric (clause "8a")
• To delete: mark as "Void" to preserve numbering
• Automatic numbering may be used with proper ETSI styles

Scope

Worded as statements of fact:

• "The present document specifies..." / "establishes..." / "gives guidelines for..."
• "The present document is applicable to..."

References

• Normative references (2.1): must be publicly available in English
• Prefer specific (dated) references
• Non-specific (undated) allowed only if referring TC controls the document
• References to 3GPP deliverables: replace with ETSI equivalents (e.g. 3GPP TS 23.040 -> ETSI TS 123 040)

Figures and tables

• Numbered with Arabic numerals from 1
• Title below figure: "Figure N: title"
• Title above table: "Table N: title"
• Notes within the figure/table frame

ETSI-specific figure paragraph rules (mandatory)

Apply these rules for all ETSI deliverables (TS, ES, EN, TR, EG, SR, GS):

• Figure layout in Word must be In line with text. Floating layouts (Square, Tight, Through, Top and Bottom, Behind Text, In Front of Text) are forbidden.
• A single nominal figure may contain multiple images/pictures inside the same figure paragraph.
• The paragraph containing the figure(s) must use style FL (figure-para).
• After the last image in the figure paragraph, end the paragraph before adding the caption (equivalent to pressing Enter). Do not use a soft line break (Shift+Enter) between image content and caption.
• Place the caption in a separate paragraph with style TF (figure-caption).

Notes

• Integrated in text: "NOTE: " or "NOTE N: " for multiple
• Notes shall NOT contain requirements (except notes to tables/figures)
• Examples: "EXAMPLE: " or "EXAMPLE N: "
• Avoid footnotes; if used, shall not contain requirements

Neutrality

Do not promote or endorse services, products, or technologies of one company over another. If only one product/technology is available and needed, follow the rules in EDR clause 4 (copyright provisions).

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ETSI style-name mapping

Concrete Word style IDs for ETSI deliverables. ETSI styles are provided by the deliverable skeleton (from editHelp!). These are largely the same as 3GPP styles.

Abstract name (sdo-docx-formatting)	ETSI concrete style ID	Purpose
body-text	Normal	Main body paragraphs
heading-1	Heading 1	Top-level section heading
heading-2	Heading 2	Second-level section heading
heading-3	Heading 3	Third-level section heading
enum-1	B1	First-level enumeration
enum-2	B2	Second-level enumeration
table-caption	TH	Table caption (above table)
table-header	TAH	Table header row
table-data	TAC	Table data rows
table-note	TAN	Table note row
figure-para	FL	Paragraph containing image
figure-caption	TF	Figure caption (below figure)
figure-note	NF	Note below figure
note-main	NO	Last note in a consecutive block
note-continuation	NW	Preceding notes in a block
reference-entry	EX	References section entry
code-text	PL	Inline code / filenames

Note: These style names are based on the 3GPP/ETSI convention pool. Always verify with the skeleton template from editHelp! for the specific deliverable type. ETSI may define additional styles for specialised elements (front cover, IPR clause, etc.) that are handled by the Secretariat.

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References

• references/etsi-drafting-rules.md -- detailed extract from the ETSI Drafting Rules (EDR)

Cross-references

• sdo-project-setup -- common project bootstrap
• sdo-docx-formatting -- formatting rules (delegated; see mapping above)
• sdo-docx-operations -- officecli guardrails
• sdo-writing-style -- prose quality rules
• sdo-writing-conventions -- mechanical writing rules
• etsi-basics -- ETSI organisation, deliverable types, lifecycle
• etsi-spec -- ETSI specification metadata retrieval