Supporting actions
The Lisbon Treaty provides for a new competence category called "supportive, coordinating or complementary action" in Art. 6 TFEU
Under this competence category the EU can adopt binding laws, but not standardise across the EU ("harmonise') national laws.
The EU Court is also competent to judge in these areas.
Artcile 6 TFEU has this content:
"The Union shall have competence to carry out actions
to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the
Member States. The areas of such action shall, at European
level, be:
(a) protection and improvement of human health;
(b) industry;
(c) culture;
(d) tourism;
(e) education, youth, sport and vocational training;
(f) civil protection;
(g) administrative cooperation."
See also Harmonisation
Links
See also Categories of competence.