Extract

The European Convention 2002–03 attempted to convey in a nutshell to citizens an array of internal actions of the EU that are not part of the AFSJ nor of the EMU. The result is the wording of Article 3(2) TFEU:

The Union shall establish an internal market. It shall work for the sustainable development of Europe based on balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress, and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment. It shall promote scientific and technological advance … It shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection, equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child … It shall promote economic, social and territorial cohesion, and solidarity among Member States … It shall respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, and shall ensure that Europe’s cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced.

The limited coherence of the text is compensated by the fact that it does indeed reflect the diversity of the listed actions. In order to have a more complete panorama, the table of contents of the TFEU is also helpful, as well as the lists of competences of Articles 3–6 TFEU. It so appears that the EU may act in a series of fields that are more or less closely related to economic matters: agriculture and fisheries, consumer protection, transport, trans-European networks,...