Rechtsakte

Rechtsakte, in German law, is a broad term for formal acts issued by competent public authorities that create, modify or extinguish rights and obligations and that are legally binding. The concept is used to describe instruments in both national and supranational contexts. In everyday German law, a Rechtsakt can be a statute, an ordinance, a administrative decision, or any other measure that has legal effect.

In the German legal system, a Rechtsakt is any measure adopted by a public authority within its legal powers that produces legally binding consequences. It can be normative, applying generally to a class of persons, or individual, directed at a specific person or entity. Administrative acts, rulings, and decrees are commonly referred to as Rechtsakte within administrative law, while statutes enacted by parliament are also considered Rechtsakte in a broad sense.

In the European Union, a Rechtsakt denotes a binding act adopted by EU institutions. The main categories are Regulations (Verordnungen), Directives (Richtlinien), and Decisions (Beschlüsse). Regulations are generally binding in their entirety and directly applicable in all member states; Directives require national implementation; Decisions are binding on those to whom they are addressed. Non-binding instruments include Recommendations and Opinions.

Formal aspects include publication in a official journal or gazette and the specified entry into force date. Validity depends on proper competence, procedural rules, and conformity with higher law. Rechtsakte thus form the core of how laws and administrative rules are created, communicated, and enforced within both national and European legal orders. See also Gesetz, Verordnung, Richtlinie, Entscheidung.