Legal Status and Effects of the Agenda 2030 Within the EU Legal Order

Abstract

This article explores the legal status and effects of the Agenda 2030 within the EU legal order. It refers to different forms of international law (i.e. international treaty law, international customary law and international soft law) as a 'connective tissue' between the EU legal order and the Agenda 2030. It is found that, despite the EU's commitment 'to be a frontrunner in the implementation of the Agenda 2030', its legal status in the EU law is undefined, and it does not enjoy direct effect. The article distinguishes a number of indirect effects the Agenda 2030 may have within the EU legal order, and calls for stronger scholarly attention to the effects of international soft instruments in the EU law, and the interplay between 'hard' and 'soft' instruments within the EU and international law.