The History of European Union
The European Union was founded in the aftermath of World War II, with the primary goal of preventing further conflicts and promoting economic cooperation between European nations. The idea emerged from the desire to create a lasting peace in Europe., ensuring that the horrors of the two worlds wars would not be repeated. The founding treaties, such as the Treaty of Rome in 1957, laid the foundation for economic collaboration, leading to the establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC). Over time, the EU expanded its focus to include political, social, and environmental cooperation, with the aim of fostering unity, democracy, and human rights across Europe.
After the Treaty of Rome in 1957, Europe continued to work together. The Schuman Declaration in 1950 suggested that France and Germany should share control of coal and steel. This created the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and helped Europe cooperate more.
In the 1960s and 1970s, more countries joined, like Denmark, Ireland, and the UK in 1973. Greece joined in 1981, and Portugal and Spain in 1986. In 1986, the Single European Act was signed to help create a single market.
The Maastricht Treaty in 1993 was very important. It officially created the European Union (EU) and introduced EU citizenship. It also started plans for the euro, which became the EU’s money in 2002.
In the 2000s, the EU grew bigger. In 2004, ten more countries, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe, joined. The Treaty of Lisbon in 2009 changed EU rules to help it work better.
Over time, the EU has grown from an economic group to a political union, working for peace, stability, and prosperity in Europe.
About the organization
The European Union consists of four legislative institutions. They are called following: The commission, The European parliament, The council of ministers, The European council.
The commission
This is the only institution that is allowed to propose new laws. Although, they have no formal power, their impact can be quite big when the other institutions make decisions. The commission is the biggest authority of EU, with over 30 000 officials, who help them propose new laws and control if all member states follow all rules correctly.
It consists of 27 members, one from each country. Each commissioner is chosen by their country´s government, but they must be approved by the European Parliament. Additionally, the commissioners are not allowed to take orders from their country´s own government. Each commissioner has a mandate period of 5 years but are allowed to get re-chosen an infinite amount of times.
After new laws have been legislated, the commission must make sure that all member states follow these rules. Another task is to take responsibility for and make decisions about the budget of EU.
The European parliament
The European parliament is chosen by all inhabitants of EU with a right to vote in the EU election each 5 years, meaning over 500 million people. There´s 705 members in the parliament, and the number of members from each country depends on their number of inhabitants. For example, Germany, which is the state with most inhabitants, has 96 members.
Political parties are allowed to cooperate with each other between countries. The social democrats from Sweden will most likely collaborate with the social democrats from another country for example.
This parliament is comparable with our national parliament here in Sweden. Meaning, there is always a majority voting. Unlike the Swedish national parliament, they are not the only authority with legislative power. Every legislative decision made in EU, are taken by the European parliament along with the council of ministers.
The council of ministers
This institution consists of 27 ministers, one from each country. Unlike the commission, the members rotate, depending on the question they discuss. The ministers are allowed to follow instructions from their own country´s government, to bring up the next time the ministers are gathered. If the question regards the climate changes, all 27 climate ministers are gathered.
They make legislative decisions along with the parliament. The ministers discuss the question and decide through consensus or a qualified majority.
Another thing they do together with the parliament, is to approve the yearly budget for the EU.
The European Council
The council members of the European Council are the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states, but also the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.
The European Council is one of the EU’s key institutions, responsible for setting the political direction and priorities of the union, but it does not pass laws. It establishes the EU’s agenda, manages crises and major decisions, and coordinates policies in areas such as security, migration, and the economy. The Council also appoints top EU officials and shapes foreign and security policy, including sanctions and trade agreements.
It consists of the heads of state or government of the member states, the President of the European Council, and the President of the European Commission. The High Representative for Foreign Affairs participates when necessary. Unlike the Council of the European Union, which adopts laws, the European Council focuses on overarching strategic decisions. (European Union, 2025)
How decisions are made
When decisions are made using the co-decision process, the European Commission takes the first step by suggesting a new law. The Commission sends this proposal to the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. The Council and Parliament read and review the proposal, then send it for feedback to groups like the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee. These groups give their opinions on the proposal. After that, the Commission makes changes based on the feedback and sends the updated proposal back to the Council and Parliament for a final decision.
During this process, a lot of work happens. In both the member countries and the European Parliament, different groups and politicians work together. At the EU level, many people try to influence governments, commissioners, and members of parliament to make decisions that support their interests.