Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

1957 treaty of the European Union

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Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

The signing ceremony of the Treaty of Lisbon on 13 December 2007 which gave the TFEU its current name

Type| Founding treaty
Signed| 25 March 1957
Location| Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy
Effective| 1 January 1958 (1 December 2009 under its current name)
Parties| EU member states
Depositary| Government of Italy
Full text
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union at Wikisource
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Politics of the European Union

Member states (27)

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden

* * *

Candidate countries

* Albania
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Georgia
* Moldova
* Montenegro
* North Macedonia
* Serbia
* Ukraine

* * *

Accession negotiations suspended countries

* Turkey

* * *

Applicant countries

* Kosovo

* * *

* Special territories
* Belgium–Germany relations
* France–Germany relations
* Germany–Netherlands relations
* EU 3
* Withdrawal from the European Union

* * *

Treaties and Declarations

* Schuman Declaration (1950)
* Treaty of Paris (1951)
* Europe Declaration (1951)
* Spaak Report (1956)
* Treaty of Rome (1957)
* Euratom Treaty (1957)
* Merger Treaty (1965)
* Solemn Declaration (1983)
* Single European Act (1986)
* Maastricht Treaty (1992)
* Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)
* Treaty of Nice (2001)
* Berlin Declaration (2007)
* Treaty of Lisbon (2007)
* Article 7
* Article 50

* * *

Opt-outs

* * *

Treaties of accession

1972, 1979, 1985, 1994, 2003, 2005, 2011

* * *

Treaties of succession

1984, 2020

* * *

Other treaties

* Schengen Agreement (1985)
* European Economic Area Agreement (1992)

* * *

Abandoned treaties and agreements

* European Constitution (2004)
* UK membership renegotiation (2015–2016)

Executive institutions

European Council

* President: Michel (ALDE)
* Parties
* List of meetings

* * *

European Commission

* Von der Leyen Commission
* President: Von der Leyen (EPP)
* Vice Presidents
* College of Commissioners
* Civil Service
* Secretary-General:  Juhansone

Legislative institutions

* Legislative procedure

* * *

Council of the EU

Presidency

Belgium

(January–June 2024)

* * *

Configurations

* GAC
* FAC
* ECOFIN
* Eurogroup
* AGRIFISH
* EPSCO
* COMPET
* TTE
* ENVI
* JHA
* EYC

* * *

* Voting
* Secretariat
* Secretary-General: Thérèse Blanchet
* Directorates-general
* COREPER

* * *

European Parliament
(Members)

* President: Metsola
* Largest groups
* EPP (Manfred Weber)
* S&D (Iratxe García)
* Member of the European Parliament
* 9th session (2019–2024)
* Bureau
* Vice Presidents
* Quaestor
* Conference

* * *

National parliaments

Judicial institutions

Court of Justice of the EU

* European Court of Justice
* Members
* Advocates General
* Rulings
* General Court

Auditory institutions

European Court of Auditors

* European Court of Auditors

* * *

Other auditory bodies

* Internal Audit Service of the Commission
* Committee on Budgetary Control of the Parliament
* Economic and Financial Affairs configuration of the Council
* Anti-Fraud Office
* Public Prosecutor's Office

European Central Bank

* President Lagarde
* ESCB
* EMU
* Euro banknotes
* Euro coins

Other bodies

European Investment Bank Group

* Investment Bank
* Investment Fund
* EIB Institute

* * *

European Stability Mechanism

* European Stability Mechanism

* * *

European University Institute

* European University Institute

* * *

Unified Patent Court

* Unified Patent Court

* * *

Agencies, decentralised independent bodies and joint undertakings

* Decentralised agencies of the EU
* Single market agencies
* CFSP agencies
* AFSC agencies
* ESFS European Supervisory Authorities
* SRM bodies
* Executive agencies of the EU
* Euratom agencies
* Decentralised independent bodies of the EU
* European Institute of Innovation and Technology
* European Public Prosecutor's Office
* Corporate bodies of the EU
* European Data Protection Board
* Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations
* Joint undertakings
* of the EU
* of the Euratom

* * *

Other independent bodies

* European Data Protection Supervisor
* European Ombudsman

* * *

Advisory bodies

* European Committee of the Regions
* European Economic and Social Committee
* Political and Security Committee
* European Union Military Committee
* EU/ESA Space Council

* * *

Inter-institutional bodies

* Publications Office of the European Union
* European External Action Service
* European Personnel Selection Office
* Anti-Fraud Office
* European Administrative School

Euratom

Euratom members

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden

* * *

Associated states

* Switzerland
* United Kingdom

* * *

* Nuclear power in the European Union

Euratom since 1 January 2021

Economic and Monetary Union

Eurozone members

* Austria
* Belgium
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Portugal
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain

* * *

Eurogroup

* President
* Paschal Donohoe

* * *

Other currencies in use

* Bulgarian lev
* Czech koruna
* Danish krone
* Hungarian forint
* Polish złoty
* Romanian leu
* Swedish krona

* * *

* ERM II
* Enlargement of the eurozone

* * *

Non Euro countries relationship to Euro

* Bulgaria
* Czechia
* Denmark
* Hungary
* Poland
* Sweden
* Romania

Eurozone since 2015

Schengen Area

* Austria
* Belgium
* Croatia
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden

* * *

Non-EU members

* Iceland
* Liechtenstein
* Norway
* Switzerland

* * *

* Prüm Convention
* Schengen Information System
* Visa Information System
* Visa policy of the Schengen Area

* * *

Non-Schengen area EU member states

* Bulgaria
* Cyprus
* Ireland (Opt-out)
* Romania

Schengen Area from January 2023

European Economic Area

EEA members

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia (provisional member)
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden

* * *

Non-EU members

* Iceland
* Liechtenstein
* Norway

* * *

Topics

* EEA Joint Committee
* EEA National Identity cards
* Microstates and the European Union

European Economic Area

Elections

* 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994
1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019
* 2024 (last election)
* European political parties
* Constituencies

* * *

Elections in EU member states

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden

* * *

* Referendums relating to the EU

Law

* Acquis
* Primacy (ECJ Case 6/64)
* Subsidiarity
* Regulation
* Directive
* Decision
* Recommendation
* Fundamental Rights

Policies and issues

* Budget
* Customs Union
* Free Trade Agreements
* European Single Market
* Area of FS&J
* Policies
* Agricultural
* Energy
* Fisheries
* Regional
* Citizenship
* Passports of the European Union
* Identity
* Pro-Europeanism
* Euroscepticism
* European banking union
* European Banking Supervision
* Single Resolution Mechanism
* Capital Markets Union
* European System of Financial Supervision
* Integration
* Supranationalism
* European Federation
* Multi-speed Europe
* Enhanced cooperation

Foreign relations

High Representative

* Josep Borrell

* * *

* Ext. Action Service
* Foreign Policy
* Defence Policy

* * *

Foreign relations of EU member states

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden

* * *

* Argentina–European Union relations
* Armenia–European Union relations
* Australia–European Union relations
* Brazil–European Union relations
* Canada–European Union relations
* China–European Union relations
* European Union–NATO relations
* Georgia–European Union relations
* Iceland–European Union relations
* Kazakhstan–European Union relations
* Japan–European Union relations
* Mexico–European Union relations
* Moldova–European Union relations
* Norway–European Union relations
* Russia–European Union relations
* Switzerland–European Union relations
* Turkey–European Union relations
* Ukraine–European Union relations
* United Kingdom–European Union relations (History)
* Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union
* Brexit
* United States–European Union relations

* * *

* Common Travel Area (Ireland)
* Microstates and the European Union
* European Union and the United Nations
* European Union Association Agreement

* * *

* G7
* G20

Defunct bodies

* European Communities (1958–1993)

European Coal and Steel Community
European Economic Community
* European Community
* Western European Union
* Convention on the Future of Europe

European Union portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is one of two treaties forming the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU), the other being the Treaty on European Union (TEU). It was previously known as the Treaty Establishing the European Community (TEC).[1]

The Treaty originated as the Treaty of Rome (fully the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community), which brought about the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC), the best-known of the European Communities (EC). It was signed on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany and came into force on 1 January 1958. It remains one of the two most important treaties in the modern-day European Union (EU).

Its name has been amended twice since 1957. The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 removed the word "economic" from the Treaty of Rome's official title and, in 2009, the Treaty of Lisbon renamed it the "Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union".

Following the 2005 referendums, which saw the failed attempt at launching a European Constitution, on 13 December 2007 the Lisbon Treaty was signed. This saw the 'TEC' renamed as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and, once again, renumbered. The Lisbon reforms resulted in the merging of the three pillars into the reformed European Union.[2]

In March 2011, the European Council adopted a decision to amend the Treaty by adding a new paragraph to Article 136. The additional paragraph, which enables the establishment of a financial stability mechanism for the Eurozone, runs as follows:

> The Member States whose currency is the euro may establish a stability mechanism to be activated if indispensable to safeguard the stability of the euro area as a whole. The granting of any required financial assistance under the mechanism will be made subject to strict conditionality.[3]

## Present contents[edit]

The consolidated TFEU consists of seven parts:

### Part 1, Principles[edit]

In principles, article 1 establishes the basis of the treaty and its legal value. Articles 2 to 6 outline the competencies of the EU according to the level of powers accorded in each area. Articles 7 to 14 set out social principles, articles 15 and 16 set out public access to documents and meetings and article 17 states that the EU shall respect the status of religious, philosophical and non-confessional organisations under national law.[4]

### Part 2, Non-discrimination and citizenship of the Union[edit]

The second part begins with article 18 which outlaws, within the limitations of the treaties, discrimination on the basis of nationality. Article 19 states the council with the consent of the European Parliament "may take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation". Articles 20 to 24 establishes EU citizenship and accords rights to it; to free movement, consular protection from other states, vote and stand in local and European elections, right to petition Parliament and the European Ombudsman and to contact and receive a reply from EU institutions in their own language. Article 25 requires the commission to report on the implementation of these rights every three years.[4]

### Part 3, Union policies and internal actions[edit]

Part 3 is the largest in the TFEU. Articles 26 to 197 concern the substantive policies and actions of the EU.

#### Title I: Internal market[edit]

#### Title II: Free movement of goods[edit]

Including the customs union

#### Title III: Agriculture and Fisheries[edit]

Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy

#### Title IV: Free movement of workers, services and capital[edit]

Further information: European Union law § Capital

Title IV concerns free movement of people, services and capital:

* Chapter 1: Workers (articles 45–48, ex articles 39–42 TEC), including the right to move freely in order to "accept [an] offer of employment actually made [5]
* Chapter 2: Right of Establishment (articles 49–55), including the right to take up and pursue activities as [a] self-employed person [6]
* Chapter 3: Services (articles 56–62)
* Chapter 4: Capital and Payments (articles 63–66), including free movement of "capital between member states and between member states and third countries".[7]

#### Title V: Area of freedom, justice and security[edit]

Including police and justice co-operation

#### Title VI: Transport[edit]

#### Title VII: Common Rules on Competition, Taxation and Approximation of Laws[edit]

European Union competition law, taxation and harmonisation of regulations (note Article 101 and Article 102)

#### Title VIII: Economic and monetary policy[edit]

Articles 119 to 144 concern economic and monetary policy, including articles on the euro. Chapter 1: Economic policy - Article 122 deals with unforeseen problems in the supply chain and "severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control"[8][9] Chapter 1: Economic policy – Article 126 deals with how excessive member state debt is handled.[10] Chapter 2: Monetary policy – Article 127 outlines that the European System of Central Banks should maintain price stability and work with the principles of an open markets and free competition.[11] The Article 140 describes the criteria for inclusion in monetary union (the euro) or having exception from it, and also says that it is a majority of the council, not the state alone, which decides upon usage of euro or national currency. Thereby are states obliged (except UK and Denmark) to introduce the euro if the council finds they fulfil the criteria.

#### Titles IX to XV: Employment, social and consumer policy[edit]

Main articles: European labour law and European consumer law

Title IX concerns employment policy, under articles 145–150. Title X concerns social policy, and with reference to the European Social Charter 1961 and the Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers 1989. This gives rise to the weight of European labour law.

Title XI establishes the European Social Fund under articles 162–164. Title XII, articles 165 and 166 concern education, vocational training, youth and sport policies. Title XIII concerns culture, in article 167. Title XIV allows measures for public health, under article 168. Title XV empowers the EU to act for consumer protection, in article 169.

#### Titles XVI to XXIV: Networks, industry, environment, energy, other[edit]

Title XVI, articles 170–172 empower action to develop and integrate Trans-European Networks. Title XVII, article 173, regards the EU's industrial policy, to promote industry. Title XVIII, articles 174 to 178 concern economic, social and territorial cohesion (reducing disparities in development). Title XIX concerns research and development and space policy, under which the European Research Area and European Space Policy are developed.

Title XX concerns the increasingly important environmental policy, allowing action under articles 191 to 193. Title XXI, article 194, establishes the Energy policy of the European Union.

Title XXII, article 195 is tourism. Title XXIII, article 196 is civil protection. Title XXIV, article 197 is administrative co-operation.

### Part 4, Association of the overseas countries and territories[edit]

Part 4, in articles 198 to 204, deals with association of overseas territories. Article 198 sets the objective of association as promoting the economic and social development of those associated territories as listed in annexe 2. The following articles elaborate on the form of association such as customs duties.[4]

### Part 5, External action by the Union[edit]

Part 5, in articles 205 to 222, deals with EU foreign policy. Article 205 states that external actions must be in accordance with the principles laid out in Chapter 1 Title 5 of the Treaty on European Union. Article 206 and 207 establish the common commercial (external trade) policy of the EU. Articles 208 to 214 deal with co-operation on development and humanitarian aid for third countries. Article 215 deals with sanctions while articles 216 to 219 deal with procedures for establishing international treaties with third countries. Article 220 instructs the High Representative and Commission to engage in appropriate co-operation with other international organisations and article 221 establishes the EU delegations. Article 222, the Solidarity clause states that members shall come to the aid of a fellow member who is subject to a terrorist attack, natural disaster or man-made disaster. This includes the use of military force.[4]

### Part 6, Institutional and financial provisions[edit]

Part 6, in articles 223 to 334, elaborates on the institutional provisions in the Treaty on European Union. As well as elaborating on the structures, articles 288 to 299 outline the forms of legislative acts and procedures of the EU. Articles 300 to 309 establish the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank. Articles 310 to 325 outline the EU budget. Finally, articles 326 to 334 establishes provision for enhanced co-operation.[4]

### Part 7, General and final provisions[edit]

Part 7, in articles 335 to 358, deals with final legal points, such as territorial and temporal application, the seat of institutions (to be decided by member states, but this is enacted by a protocol attached to the treaties), immunities and the effect on treaties signed before 1958 or the date of accession.[4]

## See also[edit]

* Berlin Declaration (2007)
* Four Freedoms (European Union)

## References[edit]

1. ^ Nugent, Nigel (2017). The Government and Politics of the European Union. Red Globe Press.
2. ^ "Presidency Conclusions Brussels European Council 21/22 June 2007" (PDF). Council of the European Union. 23 June 2007.
3. ^ "The European Treaty Amendment for the Creation of a Financial Stability Mechanism (Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies)" (PDF).
4. ^ a b c d e f "Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union" (PDF). Eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
5. ^ Article 45.3(a)
6. ^ Article 49
7. ^ Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union - PART THREE: UNION POLICIES AND INTERNAL ACTIONS - TITLE IV: FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS, SERVICES AND CAPITAL - Chapter 4: Capital and payments - Article 63 (ex Article 56 TEC), EUR-Lex
8. ^ "EUR-Lex - 12012E122 - EN - EUR-Lex". eur-lex.europa.eu.
9. ^ Evans-Pritchard, Ambrose (29 January 2021). "EU threatens war-time occupation of vaccine makers as AstraZeneca crisis spirals". Telegraph Media Group Limited.
10. ^ "EUR-Lex - 12008E126 - EN - EUR-Lex". eur-lex.europa.eu.
11. ^ "EUR-Lex - 12008E127 - EN - EUR-Lex". eur-lex.europa.eu.

* v
* t
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Founding treaties of the European Communities (1951–1993) and Union (since 1993) and related political documents

Founding treaties|

| Consolidated versions|

* Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (1957)
* Treaty on European Union (1992)
* Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (1957)

|

Amendments|

| General|

| In force|

* Paris (1954)
* Rome (1957)
* Netherlands Antilles Association Convention (1962)
* Merger (1965)
* First Budgetary Treaty (1970)
* Second Budgetary Treaty (1975)
* Single European Act (1986)
* Maastricht (1992)
* Amsterdam (1997)
* Nice (2001)
* Lisbon (2007)
* Protocol 36 (2011)
* Article 136 (2011)

|

Unratified|

* Renegotiation of UK membership (2016)

Changes in membership|

| Accession|

* 1972
* 1979
* 1985
* 1994
* 2003
* 2005
* 2011

|

Secession|

* Greenland (1984)
* United Kingdom (“Brexit” 2020)

Unratified|

* Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (1952)
* Treaty establishing the European Political Community (1952)
* Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (2004)

Expired or terminated|

* Brussels (Western Union, 1948)
* Modified Brussels (Western European Union, 1954)
* Paris (European Coal and Steel Community, 1951)

Related political documents|

* Schuman Declaration (1950)
* Europe Declaration (1951)
* Declarations at the London and Paris Conferences (1954)
* Benelux memorandum (1955)
* Spaak Report (1956)
* Fouchet Plan (1961)
* Davignon report (1970)
* Copenhagen report (1973)
* London report (1981)
* Solemn Declaration (1983)
* Rome Declaration (1984)
* Schengen Agreement (1985)
* Schengen Convention (1990)
* Petersberg Declaration (1992)
* Saint-Malo declaration (1998)
* Schengen acquis of the EU (1999)
* Bologna declaration
* Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000)
* PFI Convention (2002)
* Seville Declarations (2002)
* Prüm Convention (2005)
* Berlin Declaration (2007)
* European Stability Mechanism (2012)
* European Fiscal Compact (2012)
* Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (2013)
* Single Resolution Fund Agreement (2014)
* Malta Declaration (2017)
* Versailles declaration (2022)

European Union Portal

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* 2
* 3

National|

* Norway
* 2
* Spain
* Germany

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