forordning

Forordning is a legal instrument used by governments to regulate public affairs. In Danish and Norwegian law, a forordning is a decree or executive order issued under the authority of an act or constitution. It typically contains detailed rules necessary to implement a statute and may cover administrative, regulatory, or procedural matters. A forordning is generally subordinate to primary legislation but may have a broad scope depending on the enabling act. It usually requires publication in an official gazette and specifies when it enters into force.

In Denmark, forordninger are issued by the government or ministries and published in the Lovtidende, or the Official Gazette, with a stated effective date. They serve to implement and specify how laws are to be applied in practice. In Norway, forordninger (often called forskrifter or forordninger) are similarly issued by the government and are published in the statutory gazette; they are used to regulate details of statutes and to establish administrative rules.

In the European Union, the term is used to translate the instrument “regulation” (Regulation in English). EU regulations are binding in their entirety and directly applicable in all member states from their effective date, without requiring national implementing measures. This distinguishes them from directives, which require member states to achieve a result while allowing national choice in form and methods.

Common features include binding force, general application, entry into force on a specified date, and the possibility of amendments or repeals by subsequent forordninger or statutes. Caveats: national constitutional limits apply; forordninger may be subject to judicial review.