Sum of rights and obligations arising from the entire body of principles, policies, laws, practices and objectives which have been developed within the European Union and must be accepted by all would-be entrants.
UK goverment website, EU law and the balance of competences: [A short guide and glossary](https://www.gov.uk/eu-law-and-the-balance-of-competences-a-short-guide-and-glossary), 2012.
Based on Duncan Watts, A Glossary of UK Government and Politics, Edinburgh University Press, 2007, p. 3.