MARQUES's good friends at the European Trade Mark and Design Network (ETMDN) have published a communication on the common practice for use when assessing the inherent distinctiveness of figurative trade marks containing descriptive or non-distinctive words.  You can check out the new communication here.

By the way, if you have not encountered it before, the ETMDN is an initiative to reduce differences in practices between the national offices and the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM). Although it is not immediately legally binding, it does reflect the extent to which a common understanding exists as to what the law is and how in practice it should be applied.