Decision

A decision is a binding legal act that either may be of general application or may have a specific addressee. A decision is part of the EU’s secondary law, the body of law that derives from the principles and objectives set out in the EU treaties (primary law).

Under Article 288 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a decision is binding in its entirety.

A decision may be a legislative or a non-legislative act.

Decisions are legislative acts when they are adopted jointly by:

• the European Parliament and the Council under the ordinary legislative procedure, or
• the European Parliament with the participation of the Council, or
• the Council with the participation of the European Parliament under the special legislative procedure.

Decisions are often non-legislative acts adopted, generally but not exclusively, by the European Commission, following delegation (delegated acts) or to implement a legislative act (implementing act).

SEE ALSO

• Council of the European Union
• Delegated acts
• Directive
• EU legal instruments
• European Commission
• European Parliament
• European Union (EU) hierarchy of norms
• Implementing acts
• Legal acts
• Legislative acts
• Non-legislative acts
• Opinion
• Ordinary legislative procedure (co-decision)
• Recommendation
• Regulation
• Treaties
• European Union decisions (summary)
• Secondary legislation (summary).