The package claims that it's "normative", sort of:
Furthermore, this document is _not an expression of formal policy_.
It contains documentation for the Debian system and generally
agreed-upon best practices. Thus, it is what is called a
``normative'' document.
However, most DDs don't view it as binding. The first sentence
implies that the document is only informative. Is the "normative"
just a mistake? Sections of a standard that merely document best
practices are usually called "informative", and the binding sections
are marked "normative".
