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Cite-Checkers Guide:
European Union

Treaties
Official Journal (legislation)
COM Documents (proposed legislation)
Finding documents of Council, Parliament, etc.
European Court of Justice
Competition and mergers
Reports and green/white papers

If you don't find what you need here, consult the longer guide European Union Research <www.law.nyu.edu/library/euguide.html>.

TREATIES  As a general rule, the basic Treaties are published in the Official Journal, C Series. Regarding the renumbering of Treaties, see the notes of the European Court of Justice on citation <curia.eu.int/en/content/juris/index.htm> (click on Information) and also 1997 O.J. (C 340) 85. 

  ESCS or Paris Treaty: Treaty Establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, 18 April 1951, 261 U.N.T.S. 140. Expired 23 July 2002.

  EEC or Treaty of Rome: Treaty Establishing the European Economic Community, 25 March 1957, 298 U.N.T.S. 3.

  EAEC or EURATOM Treaty: Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, 25 March 1957, 298 U.N.T.S. 167.

  Merger Treaty: Treaty Establishing a Single Council and a Single Commission of the European Communities, 8 April 1965, 1967 J.O. 152/1 (in French).

•  SEA: Single European Act, 17 February 1986, 1987 O.J. (L 169) 1, 25 I.L.M. 506 (an act modifying the basic treaties). 

•  TEU or Maastricht Treaty: Treaty on European Union (EU), 7 February 1992, 1992 O.J. (C 191) 1, 31 I.L.M. 253.

•  Treaty of Amsterdam, 2 October 1997, 1997 O.J.
(C 340) 1, 37 I.L.M. 56. Explanatory material, text and information on ratification at <europa.eu.int/abc/obj/amst/en/index.htm>.

•  Treaty of Nice amending the TEU, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, 26 February 2001 O.J. (C 80) 1. Entered into force 1 February 2003. Text, ratification table, explanation, archive of ICG 2000 documents at <europa.eu.int/comm/nice_treaty/index_en.htm

Draft Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, Brussels, 18 July 2003, adopted by consensus by the European Convention on 13 June and 10 July 2003. 2003 O.J. (C169).  

 Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe <europa.eu.int/constitution/index_en.htm>
Rome, October 29, 2004, O.J. (C 310) 1, December 16, 2004. The website includes the full text, plus information about the treaty and the status of ratification and referendum. According to Art. IV-447, the Treaty will enter into force on November 1, 2006, provided all instruments of ratification have been deposited, or if not, then on the first day of the second month following the deposit of the instrument of ratification by the last signatory State to do so.

Other sources for the Treaties

Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, proclaimed by the Commission, 7 December 2000. Proclamation and text, 2000 O.J. (C 364) 1. Council website on the Charter <db.consilium.eu.int/df/home.asp?lang=en> Fundamental Rights
Parliament website on the Charter
<www.europarl.eu.int/charter/default_en.htm>
Part II of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe incorporates the Charter into the new Constitution.

OFFICIAL JOURNAL (legislation: directives, regulations, etc.)
Examples
Where to find the O.J.
Finding legislation by number, e.g., Dir. 128/96
Finding legislation by topic
National implementing measures for directives

Examples:

Where to find the O.J.

Finding legislation by number, e.g., Dir. 128/96

Finding legislation by topic

National implementing measure for directives. The following sources may provide citations to (but not the text of) the national implementing measures:

COM DOCUMENTS print legislative proposals with an explanatory memorandum. Green papers, white papers and other communications and reports issued by the Commission may also be printed as COM documents. 

Citation: COM (96) 344 (final) indicates the final version of COM number 344 for 1996.

Where to find the COM Documents by number and by topic:

Finding documents of Council, Parliament, etc.
See websites of EU institutions, including:

Also use Pre-Lex and OEIL for systematic tracking of specific legislative proposals and links to the full text of documents generated by the Council, Parliament, etc. during the legislative process.

EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE

Citation of judgments  C-18/95, Terhoeve v. Inspecteur, [1999]  E.C.R. I-348. This case is published in the 1999 Reports of Cases Before the Court, Section I, at p. 348.

Official paper copies
Reports of Cases before the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance.
Rubin NYUL KE-E6 5C67 (unbound on Reserve)

Finding cases by name or topic--other reporters Sources marked with an asterisk contain the full texts of the judgments.

COMPETITION AND MERGER MATTERS
The O.J. C Series prints limited merger-related documents such as the notice of the opening of an investigation and the notice of the Commission non-opposition to a merger. Other relevant sources are:

REPORTS AND GREEN/WHITE PAPERS

This page was updated September 15, 2006