# Minimum harmonisation

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{{Short description|Term used in EU law}}
'''Minimum harmonisation''' is a term used in [European Union law](/source/European_Union_law) describing a piece of law (usually a [directive](/source/directive_(European_Union)) but occasionally a [regulation](/source/regulation_(European_Union))) that sets a threshold national legislation must meet. EU Member State national legislation may exceed the terms of minimum harmonisation law.

Much EU legislation has been implemented on a minimum harmonization basis as it can be easier to reach agreement, allowing existing EU Member State national legislation on issues such as [consumer protection](/source/consumer_protection) or [the environment](/source/environment_(biophysical)) to remain in place. 

In more recent years, the burden of EU law has led to calls for [deregulation](/source/deregulation) and accusations that some member states indulge in [protectionism](/source/protectionism) when implementing directives into EU Member State national law by [gold-plating](/source/gold-plating_(European_Union_law)). Therefore, on the opposite end of the regulation spectrum, a growing minority of EU law contains [maximum harmonisation](/source/maximum_harmonisation) provisions.

It is quite common for a directive or recommendation to consist of a mixture of minimum harmonisation and maximum harmonisation clauses.

==References==
* {{cite book | last1=Woods | first1=L. | last2=Watson | first2=P. | title=Steiner & Woods EU Law | publisher=Oxford University Press | series=EU Law | year=2014 | isbn=978-0-19-968567-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lbEiBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA349 | language=de | access-date=2022-07-12}}

Category:European Union law

{{Europe-law-stub}}

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