EU Law Framework and Legislative Process: Competences; Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Legislation; Direct/Indirect Effect and State Liability; Ordinary/Special Procedures; Delegated/Implementing Acts; Revision, Consolidation, Codification and Recasting

Published by a LexisNexis EU Law expert

Practice notes

EU law

The EU’s central aim of bringing Europe together rests solely on the rule of law. EU law forms a distinct, independent legal order, taking precedence (or supremacy) over domestic legal rules. Numerous principal actors are responsible for implementing, supervising and further developing this framework, to which a variety of procedures apply. In broad terms, EU law comprises three separate yet interlinked tiers of legislation: primary, secondary and tertiary. The EU’s body of law in its entirety is known as the ‘acquis communautaire’.

Categories and areas of EU competence

‘Competence’ denotes the EU’s authority to undertake specific action where that authority is granted by the Member States through the EU Treaties. The EU’s competences are set out in those Treaties, which provide the foundation for any action taken by EU institutions and define the scope of their measures. The Union may act only within the limits of competences conferred by the Treaties; where no competence is conferred, it remains with the Member States. The Treaty of Lisbon introduced categories of competences, comprising:

exclusive competences
shared...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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