List of European Union directives

This list of European Union Directives is ordered by theme to follow EU law. For a date based list, see the Category:European Union directives by number.

From 1 January 1992 to 31 December 2014, numbers assigned by the General Secretariat of the Council followed adoption, for instance: Directive 2010/75/EU.[1] Since 2015, acts have been numbered following the pattern (domain) YYYY/N, for instance "Regulation (EU) 2016/1627" with

Some older directives had an ordinal number in their name, for instance: "First Council Directive 73/239/EEC".

Free movement and trade

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Goods

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  • Commission Directive 66/683/EEC of 7 November 1966 eliminating all differences between the treatment of national products and that of products which, under Articles 9 and 10 of the Treaty, must be admitted for free movement, as regards laws, regulations or administrative provisions prohibiting the use of the said products and prescribing the use of national products or making such use subject to profitability.[3]

Social and market regulation

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Business protection

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  • Council Directive 84/850/EEC concerning misleading and comparative advertising (1984), "substantially amended several times",[4]: Preamble (2)  and replaced in 2006 by:
  • Directive 2006/114/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning misleading and comparative advertising. The aim of this directive is to protect traders against misleading advertising and its unfair consequences.[4]

Consumer protection

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  • Directive 85/374/EEC: Product liability directive: establishes the principle of producer liability without fault applicable to European producers, such that "where a defective product causes damage to a consumer, the producer may be liable even without negligence or fault on their part".[5]
  • Directive 98/27/EC on injunctions for the protection of consumers' interests, repealed by
    • Directive 2009/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on injunctions for the protection of consumers' interests.[6]
  • Directive on alternative consumer dispute resolution, Directive 2013/11/ΕU, issued on 21 May 2013.[7]

Company law and finance

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  • Seventh Directive: Consolidated accounts of companies with limited liability (Directive 83/349/EEC of 29/6/83).[8]
  • Eighth Directive: Qualifications of persons responsible for carrying out the statutory audits of accounting documents (Official Journal L126 of 12.5.1984, on EUR-Lex).[9]
  • Audit directive 2006/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on statutory audits of annual accounts and consolidated accounts, amending Council Directives 78/660/EEC and 83/349/EEC and repealing Council Directive 84/253/EEC. Entered into force on 29 June 2006.[11]
  • Directive 2009/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directives 78/660/EEC and 83/349/EEC as regards certain disclosure requirements for medium-sized companies and the obligation to draw up consolidated accounts, 18 June 2009, intended to reduce the administrative burdens placed on businesses. Implementation was required by Member States by 1 January 2011.[12]
  • Non-financial reporting – Directive 2013/34/EU, concerning disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain large undertakings and groups,[13] also known as NFRD,[14] was amended by Directive 2014/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014.[15] The directives provide for "a certain minimum legal requirement as regards the extent of the information that should be made available to the public and authorities by undertakings across the Union" and require "undertakings subject to this Directive" to give "a fair and comprehensive view of their policies, outcomes, and risks".[15]: Point 5  Undertakings subject to the Directive are those with an average of over 500 employees during the reporting year. The directive is supported by non-binding guidelines on reporting methodology published by the European Commission on 26 June 2017.[16] There are about 2000 companies (excluding exempted subsidiaries) affected by the requirements of the directive.[17] On 21 April 2021, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new directive to amend the existing reporting requirements, on which provisional agreement between the European Council and the European Parliament was reached on 21 June 2022.[18] The proposal:
    • extends the duty to all large companies and all companies listed on a regulated market (except listed micro-enterprises)
    • requires the reported information to be audited
    • introduces more detailed reporting requirements and a requirement to use mandatory EU sustainability reporting standards (to be developed)
    • requires businesses to digitally 'tag' the reported information so that it is machine readable.[19]
The proposed standards were to be developed by October 2022.[19]
Another proposed amendment to the 2013 directive was put forward by the Commission in April 2016 concerning disclosure of corporate tax information on a country-by-country basis.[20]

Insurance

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The Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD, Directive (EU) 2016/97 of 20 January 2016) sets out regulatory requirements for firms designing and selling insurance products. It aims to enhance consumer protection when buying insurance, including general insurance, life insurance and insurance-based investment products (IBIPs) – and to support competition between insurance distributors by creating a level playing field. The directive replaced the previous Insurance Mediation Directive (IMD).[22][23]

Labour law

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  • Council Directive 91/533/EEC on an employer's obligation to inform employees of the conditions applicable to the contract or employment relationship
Anti-discrimination
Safety at work

Competition law and procurement

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  • Council Directive 71/304/EEC of 26 July 1971 concerning the abolition of restrictions on freedom to provide services in respect of public works contracts and on the award of public works contracts to contractors acting through agencies or branches. This directive required Member States by 26 July 1972 to abolish certain restrictions applying to freedom to provide services in the construction sector.[25]
  • Coordinating the procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors directive – 2004/17/EC 31 March 2004, replaced by
    • Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors and repealing Directive 2004/17/EC.[26]
  • Coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts directive – 2004/18/EC 31 March 2004, replaced by
    • Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC[27]
  • Remedies Directives: Directive 89/665/EEC (for the public sector) and Directive 92/13/EEC (for the utilities sector). These directives provided for interim orders preventing signature of a public contract, and require public authorities and utilities to inform all tenderers about the outcome of the tender process. Both were amended by
    • Directive 2007/66/EC – the "amending Remedies Directive",[28] intended to improve "the effectiveness of review procedures concerning the award of public contracts".[29] In summary, the 2007 directive "strengthen[s] the remedies available to candidates and tenderers who feel their rights have been infringed in the award of public contracts, improve[s] the opportunities for unsuccessful tenderers to challenge unlawful awards, and increase[s] the possible penalties on contracting authorities for making such awards". In the case of a contract awarded in serious breach of the rules, it allows a national court to declare the contract "ineffective".[30] A statutory "standstill period" coming between a contract award decision and the actual award of the contract, and the immediate suspension of the right to award a contract where a timely challenge has been submitted, were established by the 2007 directive.[31] Recital 36 of the amending directive ties its objectives to the fundamental rights and principles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular to the right to an effective remedy and to a fair hearing.[32]

Environmental law

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Environmental assessment
Plastics
  • Directive 94/62/EC
  • Directive (EU) 2015/720 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 amending Directive 94/62/EC as regards reducing the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags [34]
  • Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment[35] (the "Single-Use Plastics Directive"), effective from 3 July 2021[36]
Pollution and Waste
  • The Directive 76/464/EEC of 4 May 1976 on pollution caused by certain dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the Community
  • Packaging and packaging waste directive, 94/62/EC deals with the problems of packaging waste and the currently permitted heavy metal content in packaging
  • Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control; replaced by Directive 2008/1/EC (see below)
  • Landfill Directive, Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999, amended by Directive (EU) 2018/850 with effect from 5 July 2020 [37]
  • RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC
  • Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive ("WEEE directive"), Directive 2002/96, revised in 2006, 2009 and 2012, currently Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment
  • Battery directive (2006/66/EC in force from 6 September 2006), Directive 2006/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators and repealing Directive 91/157/EEC. Directive 2006/66/EC was amended by Directive 2013/56/EU of 20 November 2013.
  • Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (Directive 2008/1/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control)
  • Waste framework directive (Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on Waste)
Environment – Other

Intellectual property

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Public regulation

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Agriculture, forestry and water

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  • Birds Directive (Council Directive 79/409/EEC and 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds)
  • Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora)
  • Urban Waste Water Directive (Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste water collection and treatment)
  • Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy)
  • Groundwater Directive (Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration)[38]
  • Environmental Quality Standards Directive (Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directives 82/176/EEC, 83/513/EEC, 84/156/EEC, 84/491/EEC, 86/280/EEC and amending Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council)[39]
  • Drinking Water Directive 1998 of 3 November 1998

Energy

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Food

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Pharmaceuticals

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Textiles

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  • Directives 73/44/EC, 96/73/EC and 2008/121/EC applicable in the textile sector were repealed and replaced from 8 May 2012 by Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and related labelling and marking of fibre composition of textile products (the "Textile Regulation").[40]

Transport

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Rail transport
Road transport
  • Directive 80/1269/EEC – relating to the engine power of motor vehicles
  • Directive 96/53/EC - laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic
  • Directive 2004/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on minimum safety requirements for tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network
  • Directive 2008/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on road infrastructure safety management
  • Directive 2009/33/EC – the "Clean Vehicles Directive"
  • Directive (EU) 2019/1161, the revised Clean Vehicles Directive, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in June 2019,[42] and to be transposed into national law by 2 August 2021.[43]
Transport – Other

Communications and data

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Media

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Other

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Medical devices

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Weights and measures

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Other safety measures

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Frequently asked questions – EUR-Lex".
  2. ^ "Publications Office – Interinstitutional Style Guide – 1.2. L series – 1.2.2. Numbering of acts".
  3. ^ Publications Office of the EU, Commission Directive 66/683/EEC of 7 November 1966 eliminating all differences between the treatment of national products and that of products which, under Articles 9 and 10 of the Treaty, must be admitted for free movement, as regards laws, regulations or administrative provisions prohibiting the use of the said products and prescribing the use of national products or making such use subject to profitability – unofficial English translation, retrieved 24 December 2020
  4. ^ a b EUR-Lex, Directive 2006/114/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 concerning misleading and comparative advertising (codified version) (Text with EEA relevance), accessed 15 August 2023
  5. ^ EUR-Lex, Defective products: liability, updated 19 January 2016, accessed 28 January 2023
  6. ^ Eur-Lex, Directive 2009/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on injunctions for the protection of consumers' interests, retrieved 13 January 2021
  7. ^ ADR Cyprus Center Ltd., Directive 2013/11/EU on Alternative Consumer Dispute Resolution, accessed 29 June 2023
  8. ^ EUR-Lex, Seventh Directive: consolidated accounts of companies with limited liability, last updated 2 December 2009, accessed 10 November 2022
  9. ^ "Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Reinforcing the statutory audit in the EU". 10 December 2003.
  10. ^ EUR-Lex, Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Reinforcing the statutory audit in the EU /* COM/2003/0286 final */, published 2 December 2003, accessed 10 November 2022
  11. ^ European Commission, Audit directive 2006/43/EC: Law details, accessed 10 November 2022
  12. ^ UK Legislation, Directive 2009/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, accessed 6 November 2022
  13. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings, amending Directive 2006/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directives 78/660/EEC and 83/349/EEC, retrieved 13 July 2021
  14. ^ European Commission, Online public consultation on the review of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive launched, updated 2 June 2021, accessed 30 December 2022
  15. ^ a b Directive 2014/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain large undertakings and groups, retrieved 25 October 2020
  16. ^ European Commission, Communication from the Commission Guidelines on non-financial reporting (methodology for reporting non-financial information), C(2017) 4234 final, retrieved 25 October 2020
  17. ^ Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) (2021), Study on the non-financial reporting directive: Final report, retrieved 14 March 2022
  18. ^ European Council, Council gives final green light to corporate sustainability reporting directive, published 28 November 2022, accessed 30 December 2022
  19. ^ a b European Commission, Corporate sustainability reporting, retrieved 13 July 2021.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  20. ^ EUR-Lex, Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches, COM/2016/0198 final – 2016/0107 (COD), published 12 April 2016, retrieved 13 July 2021
  21. ^ "EUR-Lex – 32002L0083 – EN – EUR-Lex". eur-lex.europa.eu. 5 November 2002. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  22. ^ Financial Conduct Authority, Insurance Distribution Directive, accessed 15 August 2020
  23. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2016/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 January 2016 on insurance distribution (recast), consolidated version published 12 June 2020, accessed 9 February 2023
  24. ^ Council Directive 97/80/EC of 15 December 1997 on the burden of proof in cases of discrimination based on sex, accessed 22 March 2023
  25. ^ EUR-Lex, Council Directive 71/304/EEC of 26 July 1971 concerning the abolition of restrictions on freedom to provide services in respect of public works contracts and on the award of public works contracts to contractors acting through agencies or branches, accessed 26 April 2023
  26. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors and repealing Directive 2004/17/EC, retrieved 29 August 2021
  27. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC, retrieved 29 August 2021
  28. ^ UK Legislation, The Public Contracts (Amendment) Regulations 2009: Explanatory Note, accessed 13 December 2023
  29. ^ European Commission, Remedies Directives, retrieved 29 August 2021
  30. ^  This article incorporates text from this source, which is by National Public Procurement Policy Unit (Ireland) available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  31. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive 2007/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2007 amending Council Directives 89/665/EEC and 92/13/EEC with regard to improving the effectiveness of review procedures concerning the award of public contracts, recital 4 and amendment article 2(3), accessed 25 July 2023
  32. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive 2007/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2007 amending Council Directives 89/665/EEC and 92/13/EEC with regard to improving the effectiveness of review procedures concerning the award of public contracts, recital 36, accessed 25 July 2023
  33. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive 2014/52/EU amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, 16 April 2014
  34. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2015/720 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 amending Directive 94/62/EC as regards reducing the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags, accessed 11 May 2023
  35. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, retrieved 8 August 2021
  36. ^ European Bioplastics e.V., Single-Use Plastics Directive, retrieved 18 January 2022
  37. ^ European Commission, Landfill waste, accessed 22 June 2023
  38. ^ "Directive 2006/118". EUR-Lex. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  39. ^ "Directive - 2008/105 - EN - EUR-Lex". EUR-Lex. 16 December 2008. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  40. ^ EU Monitor, REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL regarding possible new labelling requirements of textile products and on a study on allergenic substances in textile products, COM(2013) 656 final, published 25 September 2013, accessed 21 August 2023
  41. ^ "DIRECTIVE 2008/57/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL". Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  42. ^ EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2019/1161 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 amending Directive 2009/33/EC on the promotion of clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles, retrieved 30 January 2021
  43. ^ European Commission, Clean Vehicles Directive, updated 30 January 2021, retrieved 30 January 2021
  44. ^ EUR-Lex, Council Directive 86/653/EEC of 18 December 1986 on the coordination of the laws of the Member States relating to self-employed commercial agents, accessed on 21 December 2024
  45. ^ Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), SRD II - The Shareholder Rights Directive II, accessed 19 December 2022
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