While the Treaty has always ensured that Member States have the flexibility to provide quality services of this type, the Treaty of Lisbon has introduced new provisions: Article 14 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Protocol nº 26 on services of general interest.
Kuigi alusleping võimaldas liikmesriikidel ka varem pakkuda kõnealuseid teenuseid paindlikult, lisati sellesse Lissaboni lepinguga uued asjaomased sätted: Euroopa Liidu toimimise lepingu artikkel 14 ja üldhuviteenuseid käsitlev protokoll 26.