The EU’s unique institutional framework

The EU is a supranational polity, and is neither a country nor a federation like the United States or an organisation for co-operation between governments, like the United Nations. It is, in fact, unique. Its structure does not fall into any traditional legal category and owes its success to the unusual way it works.

The countries that make up the EU, its ‘Member States’, remain independent sovereign nations but they pool their sovereignty in order to gain a strength and world influence they would not have on their own. For details, see Practice Note: List of EU Member States and official languages.

The EU has an institutional framework aimed at defending its values, objectives and interests, the interests of its citizens and those of its Member States. This framework also contributes to ensuring the coherency, effectiveness and continuity of EU policies and actions.

The EU’s core institutional framework consists of seven institutions which represent different interests and have been allocated executive, legislative, judicial and other powers: