EU legislative process

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This subtopic contains a range of resources relating to EU legislative process, procedures and principles relevant to the types of legislation which fall under the umbrella of EU law, including:

  1. •

    EU Treaties (and all their amendments)

  2. •

    Regulations

  3. •

    Directives

  4. •

    Decisions

  5. •

    Opinions and Recommendations

  6. •

    Tertiary legislation (including implementing and delegated legislation)

EU law is developed further by the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union and legal principles developed by it.

The EU is based on the rule of law. Actions taken by the EU are founded on Treaties approved voluntarily and democratically by all Member States. Under the principle of conferral, if a policy area is not cited in a treaty, the European Commission cannot propose a law in that area as it is not an EU competence.

There are different types of EU legal documents. A treaty is a binding agreement betweenMember States setting out EU objectives, rules for relevant EU institutions, how decisions are made and the relationship between the EU and its Member States. Amendments allow for EU enlargement, and areas of co-operation.

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Latest EU Law News

ESMA selects first EU bond CTP

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has selected Ediphy (fairCT) as the first consolidated tape provider (CTP) for bonds in the EU. Over the last six-months, ESMA assessed applications against the criteria list in MiFIR and Ediphy (fairCT) was selected for meeting all requirements and obtaining the highest overall score. ESMA’s executive director, Natasha Cazenave, described the decision as a decisive step towards establishing consolidated tapes in the EU, enhancing transparency within fixed income markets and contributing to the Savings and Investment Union. ESMA is now inviting Ediphy (fairCT) to apply for authorisation, after which it will operate as the CTP for bonds for a period of five years under ESMA’s direct supervision.

Commission publishes guidance to accelerate renewable energy adoption and grid modernisation

The European Commission has issued new guidance to EU countries aimed at reducing electricity costs and enhancing affordability for European households and industries. The guidance focuses on three main areas: (1) promoting the uptake of innovative renewable energy technologies and deployment methods; (2) expediting the roll-out of grids and storage infrastructure by establishing designated zones with simplified environmental procedures; and (3) reforming electricity network charges to promote flexibility and efficiency in grid usage. These recommendations support the revised Renewable Energy Directive, Electricity Market Design, and the Action Plan for Affordable Energy, which seeks to lower energy costs while advancing the clean energy transition. EU Member States and national energy regulators are invited to integrate these measures into their frameworks, with the Commission ready to provide further assistance.

EU Law weekly highlights—3 July 2025

This week's edition of EU Law weekly highlights includes the publication of the programme for the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU for 1 July to 31 December 2025, the adoption of a new State aid framework for the clean industrial transition, the announcement of plans to introduce an EU Quantum Act in 2026, and the launch of a consultation on the extension of the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism to downstream products. In addition this week, the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopted proposed measures to address the rise in substandard goods entering the EU via e-commerce and proposed reforms to the EU Package Travel Directive, the Council and the Parliament reached political agreement on changes to EU alternative dispute resolution rules, the Commission launched parallel consultations on an EU Industrial Maritime Strategy and EU Ports Strategy, and a delegated act has been published under the EU Digital Services Act establishing rules for researcher access to internal data from very large online platforms and search engines. Finally, this weeks highlights include an analysis of the interplay between the Medical Devices Regulation/In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation and the EU AI Act and an analysis of an Advocate-General opinion considering the pastiche exception under the EU InfoSoc Directive.

Commission adopts implementing regulation for the EU Digital Waste Shipment System

The European Commission has adopted an implementing regulation under the Waste Shipments Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/1157), establishing rules for the Digital Waste Shipment System (DIWASS). DIWASS will become mandatory for all intra-EU waste shipments from 21 May 2026. It will digitise procedures for both notified and green-listed waste shipments, serving as a central system for authorities and economic operators without digital tools, as well as an information exchange hub between local and commercial systems operated by certain Member State authorities and commercial software used by businesses. The Commission will publish technical documentation and user instructions by the end of 2025, with training sessions for national authorities planned for late 2025. The system aims to replace current paper-based procedures and, in the future, may also be used voluntarily by non-EU countries for shipments involving at least one EU Member State.

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