Rendition

The primary meaning of rendition is a translation, often interpretive.

In the EU institution the rendition is a representation (translation) of the information in a different format (file type or language). Often the word 'version' is wrongly used, since it describes a very different concept (a process through which the information is evolving, being changed by completion, correction, updatation or an improvement by any other way).

Physical rendition (file type)
Physical rendition is the term used when the same information (document) exists in many "formats" like XML, PDF, HTML, TIFF (typically in the WCMS/Documentum), print-out on paper and so. An expression like "this document exists in the TIFF and PDF versions", or "black-and-white and colour versions" is often used; it is implicitly understood that the content (of each rendition) is perfectly identical.

Linguistic Rendition
Linguistic rendition is the term used when the same information (document) exists in many (written) languages.

Typically for the EU legislation there is a legal obligation to produced the texts in all official languages (all equal and equally binding). It is unimaginable e.g. to have an "original" in English and then in other languages to offer highlights or summaries.

The need (or even obligation) to have exactly the same content in each linguistic rendition set extremely high standards of translation.