Bert Bos, leader of the W3C Style activity, described the working relationship between the CSS and Formatting Properties and XSL working groups, clarifying how the two groups manage what is supposed to be a largely common vocabulary.

While the relationship between supporters of the two standards has often been stormy, the work described by Bos seems to be aimed at avoiding unnecessary differences in areas of commonality, notably property names, while ensuring that CSS remains accessible and XSL remains powerful.