Plain language is a concept used in connection with texts and documents issued by the state and entails writing in a way that will make the text simple and easy to understand. It plays an important role in Sweden’s society, because it allows everyone to understand what the authorities are writing about, so they can then participate in shaping various policies and discuss decisions that can influence their lives. When Sweden became a member of the EU, it raised the question of plain language in EU texts and its translations, or rather the lack of it. There are many texts published and translated by EU institutions which can be divided into three distinctive groups. There are certain rules and guidelines translators have to follow, which are different for every group and every language. In my paper I will focus on the guidelines for Swedish translation published by the EU to see how they compare to the main principles of plain language which will be explained in the beginning. Finally, I will analyse one translation in each of the three text groups to see how much they follow the guidelines and plain language principles and how understandable they really are.