Snapshot

Treaties, values, competences, institutions, sources, primacy, direct effect and sincere cooperation.

Module status

• •Track: Law
• •Last verified: 2026-07-31
• •Boundary: Independent training. Official notice and EPSO messages prevail.

Constitutional frame

The Union is founded on the TEU and TFEU, which have equal legal value. Article 2 TEU states Union values. Article 5 TEU governs conferral, subsidiarity and proportionality. Competences may be exclusive, shared, or supporting, coordinating and supplementing.

Primacy prevents conflicting national law from defeating effective EU obligations. Direct effect depends on a provision being sufficiently clear, precise and unconditional. Consistent interpretation and State liability complement those doctrines. National procedural autonomy is constrained by equivalence and effectiveness.

Institutions

Article 13 TEU lists the institutional framework. Parliament and Council jointly exercise legislative and budgetary functions. The European Council defines general political directions and priorities but does not legislate. The Commission promotes the general interest, normally initiates legislation and oversees Treaty application. The CJEU ensures that the law is observed. The ECB and Court of Auditors perform their Treaty functions independently.

Sources and hierarchy

Primary law includes the Treaties, protocols, accession instruments, the Charter and general principles. Regulations are binding in their entirety and directly applicable. Directives bind Member States as to the result but leave form and methods to national authorities. Decisions are binding; recommendations and opinions are not binding. Delegated and implementing acts are non-legislative acts.

International agreements concluded by the Union bind its institutions and Member States and rank below primary law but above secondary legislation.

Lawyer-linguist focus

Always identify actor, competence, legal basis, instrument, procedure, binding effect, addressee and judicial remedy. Similar institutional verbs are not interchangeable.