Soft law
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The term "soft law" refers to quasi-legal instruments which do not have any binding force, or whose binding force is somewhat "weaker" than the binding force of traditional law, often referred to as "hard law", in this context. The term "soft law" initially appeared in the area of international law, but than it has been transferred to other branches of law.
In the context of international law, the term "soft law" usually refers to agreements reached between parties (usually states) which do not amount to interational law in the strictest sense. In the context of international law soft law consists of non-treaty obligations which are therefore non-enforceable. The term "soft law" in the international law context also includes certain types of resolutions of international organizations (e.g. resolutions of the UN General Assembly).
The term "soft law" is also often used to describe various kinds of quasi-legal instruments of the European Communities: "codes of conduct", "guidelines", "communications" etc. In the area of law of the european communities, soft law instruments are often used to signalize, in what way will the European Commission use its competencies, how shall the Commission perform its tasks within the area of its discretion.