An understanding of the concept of sovereignty offers the key to understanding the changes taking place in Europe. Europeans invented national sovereignty with “The Treaty of Westphalia,” in 1648.2 European colonization and power quickly spread this concept throughout the world creating the modern nation state. Nations exercise two kinds of sovereignty, internal and external. Internal sovereignty is the right to make laws, regulate currency, levy taxes and regulate the economy. External sove

The EU relies on five main governmental institutions; The European Council; The Council of the European Union; The European Commission; The European Parliament; and The Court of Justice.6

The history of the EU is a history of gradually integrating national sovereignty into the collective body. Over the years the EU has gained power in both the economic and political realm. The economic integration has moved along at a fairly steady pace from the formation of the ECSC to the implementation of the monetary union in 1999. Intergovernmental political cooperation did not become a reality until the signing of the Single European Act after which formed the European Political Cooperation (EPC) between member states. The EPC has made it possible for intergovernmental cooperation between member states to coordinate positions in international organizations, such as the United Nations. The EPC operates as a forum for the EU to act collectively on matters of mutual interest. Domestically the EU has in effect done away with international boarders citizens are free to move around the member states without the inconvenience of border crossings. This has led to a joint judicial system and immigration policy throughout the EU.

European integration was first conceived to prevent future European wars. The nations that invented the concept of national sovereignty have essentially relinquished it. The result is a system of limited and pooled sovereignty overseen by five intergovernmental institutions. The EU continues to expand both in the scope of its powers and size. Today the EU exists as an economic powerhouse with the beginnings of a unified political-military structure. They are in the beginning development of a constitutional government and have come a long way in the development of a sense of European unity among their citizens. As the EU continues to form itself it is entirely possible that they will one day become the United States of Europe.

The European parliament is the most democratic of the EU institutions. The parliament is composed of 626 members elected by the citizens of the EU for a five-year term. The Parliament has a right to be heard (consultative opinion) or the same decision making power as the council of ministers (co-decision) depending on the issue. A major function of Parliament is to confirm the appointment of the commission and when necessary compel that body to resign.

The European Council is an intergovernmental organization and serves as the supreme political decision making body of the EU. It is a composed of the Heads of State of the member nations each serving as the president of the body for a period of six months. This body meets twice a year to define the political direction and objectives of the EU.

The EU is currently in the process of adopting a constitution complete with a bill of rights, which could be construed as the next step in the creation of a United States of Europe. The EU constitution is still a work in progress and must be ratified by the member states before it goes into effect; the EU nations plan to meet in October 1993 in an intergovernmental council (ICG) to continue negotiations on the final product. The EU already has the basic infrastructure of a nation state in place; it would seem that it is only a matter of time before they move away from an intergovernmental structure to a federalist nation state.

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