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Information for readers


Introduction


The EUR-Lex Directory includes both current European Union legislation and other instruments relating to the activities of the European Union (EU, ECSC, EEC, EC and Euratom) such as policy instruments and decisions taken in individual cases but of more general interest.

  • The Directory therefore covers:
  • agreements and conventions concluded by the Communities in connection with their external relations;
  • binding secondary legislation (regulations, decisions, ECSC general decisions and recommendations, EEC/EC/Euratom directives) under the treaties establishing the European Union and the European Communities, except for day-to-day administrative acts(1);
  • supplementary legislation, in particular decisions of representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting in the Council;
  • certain important non-binding acts.

You can consult the directory in any of the official languages of the European Union.

The Directory is intended purely for use as a documentation tool and the institutions are not liable for its contents.


(1) Mainly short-lived acts arising from the day-to-day management of the common agricultural policy and the customs union, such as acts temporarily fixing various rates or amounts. These acts are mainly the titles printed in light type on the contents page of the Official Journal of the European Union.

Presentation of documents

Each entry includes the document number of the act, its title, its publication reference (in most cases the Official Journal of the European Union) and the document number of any amendments with their publication reference in brackets. It also includes any available consolidated versions of the basic act and its successive amendments.

Example



The document number

The document number, shown in bold type above the title of the act, consists of a combination of figures and letters, each of which has a particular meaning (see 'Explanation of document number').

The document number is how each act is identified in the Directory.

The example given below is the simplest and most frequent form, using 10 positions. The document number can be up to 18 figures long, but readers rarely need to know precisely how the numbers are made up.

Example of a document number: 3 1977 L 0311

3 Documentary sector of the system (sector 3 = secondary legislation)
1977 Year of adoption or publication of act (1977)
L Legal form (L = directive)
0311 Serial or other identifying number of legal act (Regulation No 0311 of the year in question)

The first figure (the figure 3 in the example) indicates the sector in the system under which the act is classified.

In the example shown above, the act forms part of Community secondary legislation (sector 3).

The letter, which is always in the sixth position (the letter L in the example) indicates the legal form of the act (e.g. R for regulation, D for decision, L for directive, etc).



Title

The document number is followed by the full title of the legal act.



The publication reference

The title of the act is followed by the publication reference of the Official Journal of the European Union.

Example

OJ L 105, 28.04.1977 p. 1:

OJ Official Journal of the European Union
L 105 L series, No 105
28.04.1977 date of publication
p. 1 OJ page (page on which the text of the act begins)


References to amending acts

The publication reference of the act is followed by references to any subsequent acts affecting it (amending, replacing, etc.).

The act referred to is identified by its document number followed by its publication reference in brackets.

Example

Amended by 31997L0054 (OJ L 277 10.10.1997 p. 24)

Amended by
31997L0054 Document number of amending act
(OJ L 277 10.10.1997 p. 24) Publication reference of amending act


References to consolidated texts

If an act and its amendments have been subject to consolidation, the Directory offers links to the successive consolidated texts. The consolidated text is identified by its document number, which starts with a '0'. The first part of the number is the document number of the basic act and identifies the consolidated family (i.e. the basic act and its amendments); the second part is the date of effect of the last amending act.

Example

Consolidated text 01997L0311- 19971030

Consolidated text
01977L0311 Number of the consolidated family
19971030 Date of effect of the last amending act



Finding a document


You can find a document by using the analytical structure.

Example

Finding a decision on the Combined Nomenclature.

The relevant section on 'Customs tariffs', is found in the chapter on 'Customs union and free movement of goods' in the analytical structure:

  • 02. Customs union and free movement of goods
    • 02.20 Basic customs instruments
      • 02.20.10 Customs tariffs

Acts listed in each section are arranged by document number in ascending order: by sector (first figure), year, legal form (indicated by a letter) and serial or other identifying number (e.g. regulation number).

The entry for the decision in question, 597/87, is set out in the section Customs tariffs: