The EU acquis (short for acquis communautaire) is the complete body of common rights, obligations, and laws that bind all European Union member states together.
What the acquis [Wiki] includes
Chapters of the acquis
National Programme for Accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU (2025-2029)
Moldova is actively pursuing gradual integration into the European Union internal market.
The acquis is not static; it grows and changes over time. It contains:
- EU Treaties: The core principles, content, and political goals of the founding treaties.
- Legislation: All regulations, directives, and decisions passed by the EU.
- Case Law: Rulings and legal interpretations made by the Court of Justice of the European Union.
- Declarations and Resolutions: Official statements and policies adopted by EU institutions.
- Foreign and Security Policy: Rules and measures related to common defense and foreign relations.
- Justice and Home Affairs: Agreements on policing, borders, asylum, and legal cooperation.
- International Agreements: Treaties signed between the EU and outside countries.
Why It Matters
- For Members: Every country that joins the EU must accept the entire acquis before becoming a member.
- For Candidates: Countries wanting to join the EU must adapt their national laws to match the acquis across dozens of specific policy chapters - Chapters of the acquis
Acquis
The European Union (EU) acquis is the collection of common rights and obligations that constitute the body of EU law, and is incorporated into the legal systems of EU Member States. The EU acquis evolves continuously over time and includes:
- the content, principles and political objectives of the EU Treaties;
- any legislation adopted to apply those treaties and the case-law developed by the Court of Justice of the European Union;
- declarations and resolutions that are adopted by the EU;
- measures in the fields of common foreign and security policy and justice and home affairs;
- international agreements that the EU concludes, and agreements concluded among the Member States themselves with regard to the EU’s activities.
Candidate (applicant) countries are required to accept the acquis before they can join the EU. Derogations (exceptions) from the acquis are granted only in exceptional circumstances and are limited in scope. The acquis must be incorporated by candidate countries into their national legal order by the date of their accession to the EU, and they are obliged to apply it from that date.
Accession process to the EU
Accession of new countries to the European Union (EU) is governed by Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). A country wishing to join the EU:
- must be a European state;
- must respect the common values held by EU Member States and undertake to promote them — these values are human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities (Article 2 of TEU).
A country is granted candidate country status by the European Council following an opinion from the European Commission, drawn up following that country’s application for EU membership. Candidate status does not give the country an automatic right to join the EU.
During its accession process, the candidate country demonstrates that it meets the accession (Copenhagen) criteria and is able to take on the rights and obligations of EU membership.
Depending on the specific situation, the candidate country will need to see through a deep reform process, for instance by improving its infrastructure and administrative capacities with a view to implementing new legislation in line with the body of EU laws and standards (known as the acquis). For the candidate countries and potential candidates to meet the conditions of membership, a strong focus on the fundamental reforms in the rule of law, the economy and functioning of democratic institutions and public administration is required. Throughout the accession process, the Commission scrutinises and accompanies the candidate country’s and potential candidates’ reform process with financial and technical assistance, helping it to prepare for EU membership.
Accession criteria (Copenhagen criteria)
The Treaty on European Union sets out the conditions (Article 49) and principles (Article 6(1)) to which any country wishing to become a member of the European Union (EU) must conform.
Certain criteria must be met for accession. These criteria (known as the Copenhagen criteria) were established by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993 and strengthened by the Madrid European Council in 1995.
They are:
- stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
- a functioning market economy and the ability to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU;
- the ability to take on the obligations of membership, including the capacity to effectively implement the rules, standards and policies that make up the body of EU law (the ‘ acquis ’), and adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union.
Candidate countries
A country is granted ‘candidate country’ status by the European Council on the basis of an opinion from the European Commission, drawn up following the country’s application for European Union (EU) membership.
This status does not give the country the automatic right to join the EU. The Commission scrutinises its application according to the accession criteria (Copenhagen criteria) and the accession process only starts with a unanimous decision from the European Council to open negotiations.
Depending on its circumstances, the candidate country may be required to institute a reform process in order to bring its legislation into line with the existing body of EU laws and standards (known as the acquis) and to improve its infrastructure and administration. During the accession process, the candidate country receives financial and technical assistance to help it prepare for EU membership.
The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance is the means by which the EU has been supporting reforms in the enlargement region with financial and technical assistance since 2007. The latest version of the instrument, IPA III, was adopted in September 2021, after the necessary steps at technical level were taken following the political agreement reached with the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on .
Accession negotiations
Accession negotiations relate to the conditions under which the country will be admitted to the EU and focus on the adoption and implementation of the EU’s body of law (the acquis). The aim is that the candidate country fulfils the conditions for membership, often referred to as the ‘Copenhagen criteria’. These criteria were defined at a European Council meeting in Copenhagen in 1993.
The Copenhagen criteria are the following.
- Political, requiring stable democratic institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and protection of minorities.
- Economic, requiring a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive forces in the EU.
- The ability to take on the obligations of membership.
Accession negotiations with a candidate country are launched after unanimous agreement by all Member States endorsed by the European Council. Negotiations take place in intergovernmental conferences between the governments of the EU Member States and that of the candidate country. Negotiations serve to help the candidate countries to prepare for EU membership.
When negotiations on all policy areas are completed, and the EU itself is satisfied that it is itself prepared for enlargement in terms of absorption capacity, the terms and conditions — including possible safeguard clauses and transitional arrangements — are incorporated in an accession treaty. This treaty needs the European Parliament’s consent and the Council’s unanimous approval before all EU Member States and the candidate country can sign it. The contracting parties then ratify it in line with their respective constitutional rules.
