Principal institutions of European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Principal institutions of European Union - Essay Example 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. 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 ministerial level authorised to commit the government of the Member State". This means that the Council of Ministers, popularly known as 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