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Version October 2002
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CELEX (Communitatis Europeae LEX) is well known for its very complex structure. There are 3 document types, about 80 fields and 8 main indices. The structure offers manifold search options for the experienced user: full text, bibliographical data, classification data, subject-matter descriptors, dates and cross-references. The numerical classification codes are also used for the production of the Directory of Community legislation in force .
There are two main reasons for the access problem to CELEX. The command language MISTRAL of the host EUROBASES can only be used by an experienced searcher. A convenient access was offered with the menu-driven interface at the beginning of Spring 1995. Other publishers have easily useable interfaces. The structure of CELEX is very complex and has to be understood in order to achieve good retrieval results. The reason for the complexity is the special nature of European law that has been very precisely modelled in the database. The learning of the whole CELEX structure is a time-comsuming task even for a qualified linguist.
Finding a specific document in CELEX can be difficult, due to the vast amount of information contained in the database. The most accurate way is to use the unique document number that all CELEX documents are given. Document numbers are also used in CELEX cross reference fields so it is important to understand how to interpret them.
This guide shows you how to construct and interpret document numbers, and how to use them.
The formula for constructing a document number is:
Sector Number + Year + Document Type + Document Identifier
Sector Number (1 character)
This is the sector in which the document can be found.
| Sector 1 | Treaties |
| Sector 2 | External Agreements |
| Sector 3 | Legislation |
| Sector 4 | Internal Agreements |
| Sector 5 | Proposals + other preparatory documents ←--- Here's the beef! |
| Sector 6 | Case Law |
| Sector 7 | National Implementation |
| Sector 9 | Parliamentary Questions |
| Sector C | OJC Documents |
| Sector E | EFTA Documents |
Year (4 digits)
This is the four digits of the year of the document.
Document Type (1 or 2 characters)
This is the code for the document type. These codes are listed below. Note that the same codes are sometimes used in different sectors for different document types. For example, the Treaty of Rome is document type E in Sector 1, but document type E in Sector 9 is a written question.
Document Identifier (3 or 4 digits)
This is the identifying number for the document, such as the directive number, or the treaty article number. For numbers less than 4 digits, leading zeros must be added. (The exception is treaty articles, where the document identifier must be a 3 digit number.) For example, the identifying number for Directive 88/576/EEC is 0576, and the identifying number for article 87 of the Treaty of Rome is 087.
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Directive 93/13/EEC is found in Sector 3 and was published in 1993. It is document type L and its identifying number is 0013.
Therefore its document number is 31993L0013. |
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The Judgment of Case 152/84 is found in Sector 6 and the case was brought in 1984. It is document type J and its identifying number is 0152.
Therefore its document number is 61984J0152. |
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Article 86 of the Treaty of Rome is found in Sector 1 and was published in 1957. It is document type E in sector 1 and its identifying number is 086. (Because this is a treaty article this number is only three digits.)
Therefore its document number is 11957E086. |
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Written Question 1112/93 is found in Sector 9 and was published in 1993. It is also document type E but in sector 9. Its identifying number is 1112.
Therefore its document number is 91993E1112. |
Sector 1
| A | Euratom Treaty (1957) |
| B | Accession Treaty (Denmark, Irish Republic, United Kingdom) (1972) |
| D | Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related Acts (1997) |
| E | European Economic Community Treaty (1957). European Communities Treaty consolidated version (1992) |
| F | Treaty establishing a single Council and a single Commission (1965). Treaty amending certain budgetary provisions (1970) |
| G | Amending Treaty (Greenland) (1985) |
| H | Accession Treaty (Greece) (1979) |
| I | Accession Treaty (Portugal, Spain) (1985) |
| K | European Coal and Steel Community Treaty (1951) |
| M | Treaty on European Union, i.e. Maastricht Treaty (1992) and its consolidated version (1997) |
| N | Accession Treaty (Austria, Finland, Sweden) (1994) |
| R | Treaty amending certain financial provisions. Treaty amending certain provisions of the statute of the European Investment Bank (1975). Act amending the protocol on the statute of the European Investment Bank (1993) |
| U | Single European Act (1986) |
Sector 2
| A | Agreements with non-member countries or international organisations |
| D | EEA Joint Committee Decisions and European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority Decisions |
Sector 3
| B | Budget |
| C | Censures |
| D | Decisions |
| H | Recommendations |
| K | European Coal and Steel Community Recommendations |
| L | European Communities/EURATOM Directives |
| M | Merger Decisions |
| O | European Central Bank Guidelines |
| R | European Communities/EURATOM Regulations |
| S | European Coal and Steel Community General Decisions |
| X | Other Acts (resolutions, opinions, etc.) published in the Official Journal L series |
| Y | Other Acts published in the Official Journal C series |
Sector 4
| A | Agreements between Member States |
| D | Decisions (of the representatives of the governments of Member States meeting within the Council) |
| X | Other Acts published in the Official Journal L series |
| Y | Other Acts published in the Official Journal C series |
Sector 5
| AC | pre-2000 Opinions of the Economic and Social Committee |
| AE | post-2000 Opinions of the Economic and Social Committee |
| IR | Initiative Opinion of the Committee of the Regions |
| AR | Opinions of the Committee of the Regions (if consulted) |
| AG | Miscellaneous Council preparatory acts and assents (European Coal and Steel Community Treaty) |
| AK | European Coal and Steel Community consultative committee opinions |
| AP | Opinions of the European Parliament (if consulted) |
| BP | European Parliament preparatory acts for the budget |
| CC | Opinions of the Court of Auditors |
| DC | Miscellaneous Commission preparatory acts (communications, programmes, reports) |
| IC | Opinions of the Economic and Social Committee (own initiative) |
| IP | Opinions of the European Parliament (own initiative) |
| PC | Commission proposals |
Sector 6
| A | Judgments of the Court of First Instance |
| B | Orders of the Court of First Instance |
| C | Opinions of the Advocate-General of the Court of Justice |
| D | Third Party proceedings of the Court of First Instance |
| F | Opinions of the Court of First Instance |
| J | Judgment of the Court of Justice |
| O | Order of the Court of Justice |
| S | Seizures |
| T | Third Party proceedings of the Court of Justice |
| V | Opinions |
| X | Rulings |
Sector 7
| L | National provisions implementing Directives |
Sector 9
| E | Written Questions |
| H | Questions asked during Question Time |
| O | Oral Questions |
Sector C
| N | Other documents published in the Official Journal C Series |
Sector E
| A | International Agreements |
| C | Acts of the EFTA Surveillance Authority |
| G | Acts of the EFTA Standing Committee |
| J | Decisions, Orders and Consultative Opinions of the EFTA Court |
| P | Pending cases of the EFTA Court |
| X | EFTA - Other Acts |