Both a European Directive and a European Regulation are legal acts adopted by the bodies of the European Union through which various objectives set out in the EU Treaties are achieved. The different names indicate that they are not equivalent and equally significant documents. They are distinguished by their nature, the type of proceedings after their adoption and the scope of their coverage. The directive gives more freedom to the states in the implementation of the provisions adopted. It is a kind of guideline, rather than a call for specific action. In contrast to the regulation, which in addition to unifying parts of the law in the member countries, requires rigid adherence to the adopted paragraphs and articles. Read the article to find out the difference between a directive and a European regulation.
Regulation
A regulation is a binding and most important legal act with the widest scope. The Council of the European Union and the European Commission are authorized to issue it. It can be addressed to an unlimited number of entities, both governments and individuals. The regulation is intended to complete the execution of the order or remarks contained in the law. It applies in its entirety throughout the EU. Another purpose is to strengthen the provisions of the Act and to unify the law in all member states. The provisions contained in a regulation are directly applicable with its entry into force. An example of an EU regulation is the Data Protection Regulation RODO.
Difference between a Directive and a European Regulation – Directive
A directive is a piece of legislation that sets a goal that all EU countries must achieve. The way in which the goal will be achieved is not imposed in any way. Countries are free to determine how and with what methods they reach this goal. As a result, directives affect the legal systems of individual member states in an indirect way. This means that the legislators are obliged to develop legislation that can achieve the objectives of the Directive. A Directive has the character of a management direction and action procedure. Directives have different weights: recommended, mandatory and probationary. Examples of EU Directives are the Nitrates Directive, the Habitats Directive, the Birds Directive.