EU Law – EC Library Guide: Introduction
Introduction
EU law
The European Union is based on the rule of law. This means that every action taken by the EU is founded on treaties that have been approved democratically by its members. EU laws help to achieve the objectives of the EU treaties and put EU policies into practice. There are two main types of EU law – primary and secondary.
Treaties are the starting point for EU law and are known in the EU as primary law.
The body of law that comes from the principles and objectives of the treaties is known as secondary law; and includes regulations, directives, decisions, recommendations and opinions.
Source: European Commission
About this Library Guide
This Library Guide has been compiled to support the work of the European Commission. It may also be of interest to students, researchers and the wider public.
The Library Guide presents a curated selection of relevant sources on the topic: EU websites, EU publications, EU databases, legal literature, research journals, books and news updates.
Use the Find-eR search box on the left to discover information sources on other topics that matter to you.
The resources listed in the EC Library Guides do not necessarily represent the positions, policies or opinions of the EU institutions and bodies.