Supranational Governance System of the European Union - Essay Example

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the extent to which these institutions engage with sources of law.
Background
Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973 and since then, European law has become a significant part of the laws of the UK (Adams, 2013). The Maastricht Treaty which came to force in 1993 officially changed the name of the EEC to the European Union and integrated the three main wings of the European communal cooperations into the European Union.
The European Communities Act of 1972 integrated European Union Law into UK Law (Adams, 2013). This implies that the UK is a signatory to the European Union and it has to adhere to rules, regulations and directives. The various institutions of the European Union, therefore, engage in-laws that are directly or indirectly applicable to the UK. The main institutions of the EU are hereby discussed below alongside their impact on the making of European Union laws.
Council of Ministers (Council of European Union)
The European Council of Ministers is the main legislative arm of the European Union (Gerven, 2010). The Council of Ministers was set up by the Treaty of Nice that all the member states of the European Union signed. Article 203 of the Treaty of Nice states that "a representative of each member state at the ministerial level authorised to commit the government of the Member State". This means that the Council of Ministers, popularly known as the Council of Europe is constituted of a minister of state who is recognised under international law. Such ministers come together to make laws and rules for the Union.
The Council of Ministers varies according to the matter or subject under discussion. Thus, if the matter in question is about Agriculture, the Agricultural Ministers of each member state would have to be present at the council meeting and when they make laws, it is authorised and approved by the states through their ministers (Richardson, 2012).
The primary function of the Council of Ministers is to coordinate and make policies that are binding on the institutions and organisations of the Union. Thus, they pass laws since they have the final say on the laws and rules that is put together by various units of the European Union. The council also coordinates economic policies and sign international agreements (Adams, 2013). Read More