COMPETENȚA UNIUNII EUROPENE DE A ÎNCHEIA ACORDURI INTERNAȚIONALE

International agreements constitute a category of legal acts within the European Union (EU). They are concluded by the EU acting alone or jointly with Member States depending on the provisions of the founding Treaties. With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the European Union (EU) acquired legal personality. It is therefore a subject of international law which is capable of negotiating and concluding international agreements on its own behalf. The external competences of the EU are defined in Article 216 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. The division of competences between the EU and Member States is also expressed at international level. The current division of competences between the EU and Member States is not set in stone. However, the reduction or extension of EU competences is a delicate matter which requires the consent of all Member States and necessitates a revision of the Treaties.