2.2.1. Citations

Citations indicate the legal basis for the act and, where applicable, the preparatory acts, the transmission of the draft legislative act to national parliaments and the procedure followed.

Citations indicate, in the following order:

  1. the legal basis for the act:

    1. primary acts (treaties, acts of accession, protocols annexed to the Treaties) and international agreements (agreements, protocols, conventions) that constitute the general basis for the text in question:

      Having regard to the Treaty on European Union [and in particular Article/Articles … thereof],

      Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union [and in particular Article/Articles … thereof],

      Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community [and in particular Article/Articles … thereof],

      Having regard to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden,

      The abbreviation of the Treaty/Treaties is not mentioned.

      If more than one treaty is referred to, they should be cited on separate lines in the following order: the Treaty on European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community.

      Primary acts are cited without a footnote reference. International agreements and protocols to international agreements may be cited in their short form with a footnote reference.

    2. where applicable, secondary acts that constitute the specific basis for the text. The full title of such acts is followed by a reference to the Official Journal in which the act was published:

      Having regard to Directive 2010/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by energy-related products(1), and in particular Article 10 thereof,

      […]

      (1)
      OJ L 153, 18.6.2010, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/30/oj.

  2. the preparatory acts (e.g. proposals, initiatives, requests, recommendations, approvals or opinions provided for in the Treaties), possibly followed by a footnote reference:

    Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

    Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(1),

    Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee(2),

    […]

    (1)
    Opinion of 5 May 2010 (not yet published in the Official Journal).
    (2)
    Opinion of 17 February 2010 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

    In cases where the Treaty requires that an institution or body be consulted, and the consultation results in an opinion, the corresponding citation contains the words ‘Having regard to the opinion of …’, followed by a footnote comprising the Official Journal reference or, failing this, the wording ‘Opinion of [date] (not yet published in the Official Journal).’

    In cases where the Treaty requires that an institution or body be consulted, but the consultation does not result in an opinion, the corresponding citation reads as follows: ‘After consulting …’ (without a footnote reference and without any other precision).

  3. in legislative acts:

    1. the transmission of the draft legislative act to national parliaments:

      After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

    2. the procedure followed:

      1. the ordinary legislative procedure:

        Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure(3),

        […]

        (3)
        Position of the European Parliament of 10 March 2009 (OJ C 87 E, 1.4.2010, p. 191) and position of the Council at first reading of 15 February 2010 (OJ C 107 E, 27.4.2010, p. 1). Position of the European Parliament of 7 July 2010 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 8 November 2010.

      2. the ordinary legislative procedure, with the Conciliation Committee:

        Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, in the light of the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 24 January 2011(2),

        […]

        (2)
        Position of the European Parliament of 23 April 2009 (OJ C 184 E, 8.7.2010, p. 312), position of the Council at first reading of 11 March 2010 (OJ C 122 E, 11.5.2010, p. 1), position of the European Parliament of 6 July 2010 (not yet published in the Official Journal), decision of the Council of 31 January 2011 and legislative resolution of the European Parliament of 15 February 2011 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

      3. a special legislative procedure:

        Acting in accordance with a special legislative procedure,

Citations start with a capital letter and end with a comma.