European Legislation Identifier (ELI) – background

The need for ELI

ELI was created to provide a standardised approach to accessing and exchanging legal information across EU Member States and more abroadly at a European level. The initiative was driven by the increasing complexity of managing legal data in today’s digital age, where consistency and interoperability are crucial.

ELI’s origins

ELI was drawn up as part of the European Forum of Official Gazettes on Luxembourg’s initiative. This project, run jointly by the EU institutions and EU Member States, is enshrined in the Council conclusions of 6 November 2017 on the European Legislation Identifier (2017/C 441/05). *

The initiative contributes to the vision of a European area of freedom, security and justice, respecting both fundamental rights and the diverse legal traditions of EU Member States (as set out in Article 67(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union).

To achieve true judicial cooperation across Europe, it is not enough to simply know EU law–understanding the national legal systems of EU countries, including their specific legislation, is equally essential.

* The Council conclusions of 6 November 2017 on the European Legislation Identifier are built on the Council conclusions published on 26 October 2012 (2012/C 325/02).