The Member States 25 March 1957, Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union#PART FIVE - EXTERNAL ACTION BY THE UNION#TITLE III - COOPERATION WITH THIRD COUNTRIES AND HUMANITARIAN AID#Chapter 1 - Development cooperation#Article 209(ex Article 179 TEC)

6. The exercise of the competences conferred by this Article in the field of the common commercial policy shall not affect the delimitation of competences between the Union and the Member States, and shall not lead to harmonisation of legislative or regulatory provisions of the Member States in so far as the Treaties exclude such harmonisation.