Communityacquis

The glossary is being updated given the recent signing of the Treaty of Lisbon.

The Community acquis is the body of common rights and obligations which bind all the Member States together within the European Union. It is constantly evolving and comprises:

• the content, principles and political objectives of the Treaties;
• the legislation adopted in application of the treaties and the case law of the Court of Justice;
• the declarations and resolutions adopted by the Union;
• measures relating to the common foreign and security policy;
• measures relating to justice and home affairs;
• international agreements concluded by the Community and those concluded by the Member States between themselves in the field of the Union's activities.

Thus the Community acquis comprises not only Community law in the strict sense, but also all acts adopted under the second and third pillars of the European Union and the common objectives laid down in the Treaties. The Union has committed itself to maintaining the Community acquis in its entirety and developing it further. Applicant countries have to accept the Community acquis before they can join the Union. Derogations from the acquis are granted only in exceptional circumstances and are limited in scope. To integrate into the European Union, applicant countries will have to transpose the acquis into their national legislation and implement it from the moment of their accession.

See:

• Applicant countries
• Community law
• Enlargement
• Pillars of the European Union