The EU as a Regional and Global Organisation | Edexcel A-Level Politics
Updated: 3 days ago
For Specification 9PL0
Edexcel A-Level Politics | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time:Â 90 minutes
This The EU as a regional and global organisation A-Level Politics revision page examines how far European integration has produced an organisation capable of acting beyond its own region. Edexcel requires you to understand Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), debates between supranational and intergovernmental approaches, and the EU's political, economic, structural and military influence in global politics, including the constraints on that influence.  The topic builds directly on the development of the EU [European integration] and leads into regional responses to global issues [Regionalism and contemporary global issues].
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Explain Economic and Monetary Union and its significance for European integration.
Distinguish supranationalism from intergovernmentalism within the EU.
Analyse the EU's political, economic, structural and military influence in global politics.
Explain how the EU operates as both a regional organisation and a global actor.
Analyse the constraints created by state sovereignty and differences between member states.
Evaluate competing arguments about the extent of the EU's global influence.
Revision Notes đź“š
The EU as a regional and global organisation: what does Edexcel require?
This lesson focuses on two closely connected parts of the specification.
First, students need to understand the later stages of European integration, particularly:
Economic and Monetary Union
supranational approaches
intergovernmental approaches
Second, students must examine the EU's significance as an international body/global actor, including the constraints and obstacles affecting its:
political influence
economic influence
structural influence
military influence
The course plan therefore moves from how the EU developed in European integration [European integration] to a different question here:
What influence can the EU exercise once it acts beyond the borders of its member states?
What is a global actor?
Edexcel defines a global actor as an entity that participates or acts in international relations.
The term is deliberately broader than "state". An organisation does not need to be a sovereign country to participate in global politics.
The EU can operate internationally through:
trade
diplomacy
international organisations
economic policy
sanctions
development and humanitarian policies
civilian and military missions
This makes the EU useful when considering whether contemporary global politics is still dominated exclusively by nation-states.
However, the EU is not itself a sovereign state. Its powers depend on treaties and on the authority its member states have agreed to exercise collectively.
That distinction links back to state sovereignty [The state: nation-state and national sovereignty].
Economic and Monetary Union
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)Â is a major element of European integration.
EMU involves closer coordination of the economies of EU member states. The European Commission describes it as involving:
coordination of economic policies
coordination of fiscal policies
a common monetary policy for the euro area
the single currency, the euro
The decision to establish EMU was incorporated into the Maastricht Treaty, linking monetary integration directly to the broader development of the European Union.
Economic union
The economic side of EMU involves states coordinating aspects of their economic and fiscal policies.
Member states have not simply ceased to control their national economies. National governments still make important economic decisions, but they do so within common EU frameworks and rules.
This provides an excellent example of how European integration can involve shared decision making rather than the total replacement of states.
Monetary union
The monetary side goes further for states participating in the euro area.
They share:
the euro
a common monetary policy
the European Central Bank (ECB) as the institution responsible for euro-area monetary policy
The ECB therefore exercises a function that would traditionally be closely associated with the sovereign state: control of monetary policy.
This provides important evidence of deep integration.
Why is EMU significant?
EMU illustrates both the potential strength and the tensions of regional integration.
It may strengthen integration because:
exchange-rate barriers between euro-area states are removed
monetary policy is coordinated collectively
the euro supports economic activity within the single market
member economies become increasingly interconnected
The euro can also contribute to the EU's external economic influence. EU sources describe it as an internationally important currency which supports trade and the wider economic role of the Union.
However, EMU also illustrates limits to integration.
Economic policy has not been completely centralised. National governments continue to control substantial areas of fiscal, taxation and structural policy, while coordinating these within EU rules.
So EMU itself contains both:
supranational elements + continuing national control
Supranationalism
Edexcel defines supranationalism as giving a large amount of power to an authority that is, in theory, placed above the state.
Under a supranational model, member states have accepted that decisions in certain areas can be made through institutions operating above the national level.
Within the EU, supranational elements include institutions and arrangements through which decisions can have consequences for all participating member states.
Examples include:
the European Commission's role in proposing and enforcing EU policies
the Court of Justice of the European Union's role in interpreting EU law
the European Central Bank's control of monetary policy in the euro area
EU decision-making procedures in areas where states have agreed to common rules
Supranationalism therefore represents a significant development beyond ordinary diplomatic cooperation.
Why does supranationalism matter?
The central sovereignty issue is straightforward:
the greater the authority exercised at EU level, the less completely independent individual states are in that area.
However, this does not necessarily mean that states simply become weaker.
Governments may agree to pool authority because common action can increase:
economic influence
bargaining power
regulatory influence
capacity to address cross-border issues
This creates one of the central debates surrounding regionalism [Regionalism]:
Does pooling sovereignty reduce state power, or allow states to exercise power more effectively together?
Intergovernmentalism
Edexcel defines intergovernmentalism as interaction among states based on sovereign independence.
Under an intergovernmental approach:
national governments remain the principal decision makers
states negotiate with each other
cooperation depends heavily on agreement between governments
states retain substantial control
The European Council provides a clear example of the importance of national governments because it brings together the political leaders of EU member states.
Foreign and security policy also retains strong intergovernmental characteristics. Treaty rules state that the Common Foreign and Security Policy is generally defined by the European Council and Council, and many decisions require unanimity.
This can protect state sovereignty, but it can also make agreement difficult where national interests differ.
Supranationalism and intergovernmentalism compared
Supranationalism | Intergovernmentalism |
Authority can be exercised above the individual state | Cooperation remains based on sovereign states |
Common institutions can exercise independent responsibilities | National governments remain central |
States accept limits on unilateral action in agreed areas | Governments retain stronger national control |
Can make common policies easier to implement | Collective action may depend on agreement between states |
Seen particularly clearly in areas such as euro-area monetary policy | Particularly important in areas such as foreign and security policy |
The EU contains both approaches simultaneously.
It should therefore not be described simply as either supranational or intergovernmental.
Different policy areas involve different balances between European institutions and national governments.
The EU as a political global actor
The EU can exercise political influence through collective diplomacy and external relations.
The EU maintains diplomatic relations with states and international organisations through the European External Action Service (EEAS) and a worldwide network of EU delegations.
Its foreign policy activities include:
diplomacy
international cooperation
human-rights policy
development cooperation
humanitarian activity
participation in multilateral institutions
This potentially gives EU member states a stronger collective political presence than they would have if every state acted separately.
Political influence through collective representation
The EU participates in major forums and relationships with other global and regional actors.
Pearson's mark schemes and examiner reports have repeatedly used EU involvement in bodies such as the G7, G20 and World Trade Organization (WTO)Â as evidence students may use when considering its international influence.
Collective representation matters because it can give the EU a role in decisions affecting issues beyond Europe.
However, political influence may be constrained where member states cannot agree on a single position.
The EU's international political role therefore depends partly on its ability to convert 27 national positions into collective action.
The EU as an economic global actor
Economic influence is one of the most developed aspects of EU external power.
The European single market and common trade policy allow the EU to act collectively in important areas of international economic relations.
The EU is itself a member of the World Trade Organization, alongside its individual member states. The European Commission represents EU members at almost all WTO meetings and the EU operates a single external trade policy and tariff.
This is significant because trade negotiations can take place at EU level rather than through 27 completely separate national positions.
Why does collective economic action matter?
Individual states vary considerably in economic size.
By acting collectively through a large regional market, member states can potentially gain:
greater negotiating leverage
a common trade position
influence over international economic rules
greater capacity to respond to major economic powers
Pearson's 2019 examiner report found that candidates commonly identified the EU's economic strength when examining whether regional organisations could rival states for influence.
The 2020 report similarly highlighted strong responses explaining how the EU could act as an effective economic bloc in dealings with major powers.
Economic influence through the euro
EMU adds another dimension to the EU's economic role.
The euro allows participating states to share a single currency and monetary policy.
International use of the euro can contribute to the EU's external economic influence because trade, investment and financial relationships may be conducted in the currency.
However, monetary integration also highlights an important limitation:
not all EU economic authority has been transferred to a single European government.
National governments continue to make important economic and fiscal decisions.
Therefore, the EU's economic influence combines:
centralised elements + coordinated national policies
The EU's structural influence
The specification specifically requires students to consider structural influence.
Structural influence concerns the capacity to shape the rules, institutions and frameworks within which other international actors operate.
Rather than forcing another actor to behave in a particular way through direct military pressure, structural influence can operate by helping determine the rules of the system itself.
The WTO as an example
The EU's membership and representation within the WTO provides one example.
It operates with a common external trade policy and participates as a WTO member in its own right.
This allows it to participate directly in institutions governing international trade.
Pearson's 2019 mark scheme identified EU activity in the WTO as evidence students could use when discussing the structural significance of regional organisations.
The single market as a source of structural influence
The EU can also exercise structural influence through access to its single market.
The European Commission notes that the scale of the single market and attractiveness of the EU's regulatory model can shape relationships with non-EU states.
The underlying mechanism is:
large market → common rules → outside actors seeking access → incentive to meet those rules
This illustrates how economic size can be converted into regulatory and structural influence.
Political, economic and structural influence compared
Type of influence | How the EU can exercise it | Potential constraint |
Political | Diplomacy, common positions, international negotiations and external relations | Differences between national governments may prevent a unified position |
Economic | Single market, common trade policy, EMU and the euro | Important economic powers remain with national governments |
Structural | Participation in international institutions and ability to shape common rules and standards | Influence depends on other actors accepting or engaging with those structures |
These forms of influence often overlap.
For example, the single market creates economic power, but the rules governing access to it may also produce structural influence.
The EU's military influence
Military influence is more limited institutionally than some aspects of economic integration.
The EU has developed the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)Â as part of its wider foreign and security policy.
Through the CSDP, the EU can undertake civilian and military missions involving:
peacekeeping
conflict prevention
crisis management
strengthening international security
This means the EU is not entirely without a military or security role.
The EU does not have a standing army
A crucial distinction is that the EU does not possess a single standing EU army equivalent to the armed forces of a sovereign state.
Military capabilities used for CSDP action are provided by member states.
This creates a major constraint.
The EU may have:
common institutions
security structures
agreed missions
but the underlying military resources still largely belong to sovereign national governments.
Why does this matter?
Military power generally requires the ability to make decisions and deploy resources.
Where those resources remain nationally controlled, EU action depends heavily on the willingness of member governments to cooperate.
Foreign and security decisions also retain strong intergovernmental features, with unanimity required in many areas.
Pearson's 2021 examiner report noted that candidates challenging claims about extensive EU global power commonly focused on:
the absence of a single effective decision maker
conflicting member-state interests
limitations on EU control of national military capabilities
Economic power and military power are therefore different
A useful examination contrast is:
Economic influence
The EU has highly developed common structures including:
a single market
common trade policy
EMU
an international role through the WTO
Military influence
The EU:
has security institutions and missions
can coordinate civilian and military activity
relies on member-state military capabilities
often requires agreement between sovereign governments
This helps explain why you should never simply write:
"The EU is powerful."
Instead specify:
Powerful in what sense?
That directly links with different types of global power [Hard and soft power].
The EU and hard and soft power
The EU's influence can also be connected with the distinction between hard and soft power studied elsewhere in the course.
Economic resources can sometimes provide hard-power leverage, while diplomacy, attraction and political values can contribute to soft power.
However, military hard power remains more dependent on national governments than many areas of economic integration.
Pearson's 2021 examiner report noted that stronger candidates analysing EU influence distinguished between economic, structural, soft and military dimensions rather than treating power as one single concept.
This is an excellent examination habit.
Break "EU power" into criteria.
The EU and international institutions
The EU's ability to participate directly in international institutions can increase its structural and political significance.
The clearest example is the WTO, where the EU is itself a member and the Commission normally speaks on behalf of EU members.
Pearson mark schemes have also highlighted EU involvement at the G7 and G20 when assessing regional organisations' influence over global issues.
This creates an important argument about regionalism.
Instead of each member state acting entirely separately:
member states → common EU position → collective representation → potentially greater influence
However, this pattern is much stronger in some policy areas than others.
Trade is considerably more integrated than foreign and defence policy.
The importance of sovereignty
Sovereignty remains perhaps the most important constraint on the EU's development as a global actor.
Edexcel defines sovereignty as absolute and unlimited power and authority.
EU member states have agreed to exercise some powers collectively.
Yet they continue to retain substantial national authority.
This means that the EU operates through a mixture of:
pooled authority
common institutions
national sovereignty
intergovernmental negotiation
This is why it is misleading either to describe the EU as simply another sovereign state or to describe it as nothing more than an ordinary international organisation.
Supranational power strengthens EU action in some areas
Where EU institutions have substantial supranational authority, the Union may be better able to produce coherent collective action.
Examples include:
common trade policy
European legal arrangements
euro-area monetary policy
Here, common institutions do not need to recreate an entirely new agreement between every government every time a decision is required.
This can enhance the EU's capacity to act collectively.
Intergovernmentalism can constrain EU action
In more intergovernmental areas, member-state agreement becomes especially important.
Foreign and security policy illustrates this clearly.
Most Common Foreign and Security Policy decisions require agreement among member states, while military capabilities remain nationally provided.
This can produce:
different national interests → difficulty reaching a common position → weaker collective action
Yet intergovernmentalism also allows governments to cooperate without surrendering full control over especially sensitive areas.
It should therefore be understood as a different model of integration, rather than simply as a failure of integration.
The EU's main strengths and constraints as a global actor
Source of EU influence | Corresponding constraint |
Large integrated economic market | National governments retain important economic powers |
Common trade policy | Collective economic interests may not always coincide with every state's preferred policy |
Euro and EMU | Monetary integration is deeper than fiscal integration |
EU institutions and legal structures | Sovereignty remains divided between national and European levels |
Diplomatic representation | Member states may hold different foreign-policy priorities |
Participation in global institutions | Representation varies between different organisations |
CSDP and security missions | No single EU standing army and military assets remain largely nationally controlled |
Collective regional identity | National political interests can constrain collective action |
This is why the EU is such a useful case study for debates about both global governance and regionalism.
Is the EU supranational or intergovernmental?
The most accurate way to approach this exam debate is to treat the EU as a mixed system.
Some areas display strong supranational features.
Others remain substantially intergovernmental.
More supranational characteristics | More intergovernmental characteristics |
ECB control of euro-area monetary policy | European Council brings together national leaders |
European Commission has independent institutional functions | Council represents national governments |
CJEU interprets EU law | Foreign and security policy remains strongly state-controlled |
Common trade policy gives the EU collective external authority | Important foreign-policy decisions often require unanimity |
The balance also matters for global influence.
Where supranational authority is stronger, the EU may be able to present a more unified external position.
Where intergovernmentalism dominates, collective action depends more heavily on agreement between national governments.
How should you assess the EU's global influence?
Avoid trying to answer the question with a single unsupported claim.
Instead use criteria.
Ask separately:
How significant is its economic influence?
How significant is its political influence?
How significant is its structural influence?
How significant is its military influence?
What constraints result from sovereignty and intergovernmentalism?
This approach matches examiner feedback.
In 2021, stronger responses considered EU influence through several criteria, including economic, structural, soft and military power.
The key is then to compare evidence within each dimension rather than treating "global power" as a single thing.
Connecting the EU to wider Global Politics
The EU provides links across several parts of Component 3B.
Its economic role connects with global economic governance [WTO, G7/G8 and G20].
Its security role can be compared with collective security organisations [NATO].
Its international influence can be analysed using different forms of power [Hard and soft power].
Its combination of supranational and intergovernmental features connects back to regionalism and sovereignty [Regionalism].
Finally, its role in conflict, poverty, human rights and environmental issues is developed more directly in regionalism and contemporary global issues [Regionalism and contemporary global issues].
Key Words 🔑
Key word | Student-friendly definition | How it may be used in an exam |
Global actor | An entity that participates or acts in international relations. | Use when analysing whether the EU can exercise influence beyond Europe. |
Supranationalism | Giving substantial authority to an institution theoretically positioned above individual states. | Use when explaining areas where EU institutions exercise authority beyond simple cooperation between governments. |
Intergovernmentalism | Cooperation between states based on their continuing sovereign independence. | Use when explaining why member governments remain powerful within EU decision making. |
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) | The system combining economic-policy coordination with common monetary arrangements, including the euro and ECB for participating states. | Use when demonstrating the depth of economic integration within the EU. |
Sovereignty | Absolute and unlimited power and authority. | Use when examining why member states may resist further integration or retain control over areas such as defence. |
The Edexcel specification identifies global actor, supranationalism, intergovernmentalism and sovereignty as key terminology for Regionalism and the EU.
Hints from the Examiner Reports đź’ˇ
Examiner hint:Â Break "power" into clear criteria. The 2021 report praised stronger answers that separately considered the EU's economic, structural, soft-power and military credentials rather than simply asserting that the EU was powerful.
Examiner hint:Â Compare influence rather than just describing it. The 2019 report noted that stronger candidates contrasted the influence of regional organisations with that of states, whereas weaker responses sometimes only discussed whether regional bodies were powerful.
Examiner hint:Â Keep the precise wording of the question in view. In 2023, some candidates discussed general advantages and disadvantages of regional organisations rather than directly addressing whether states gained more power through sovereignty or regional membership.
Examiner hint:Â Use economic examples analytically. The 2020 report highlighted stronger candidates who explained how the EU single market could create economic advantages and enable the EU to operate collectively in relation to major economic powers.
Examiner hint:Â Include limitations as well as strengths. The 2021 report identified conflicting member-state interests, the absence of a single decision maker and limited control over member-state military capabilities as relevant counterarguments when assessing EU global influence.
Examiner hint:Â Develop AO3 throughout extended essays. The 2023 examiner commentary praised responses that evaluated arguments during the body of the essay and explained why particular arguments were stronger or weaker, rather than leaving all evaluation until the final conclusion.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Treating the EU as a sovereign state
Why this is incorrect:
The EU can act internationally, but it is composed of sovereign member states. Its authority depends on powers established through treaties and varies between policy areas.
How to improve:
Describe the EU as a global actor and then explain where authority is supranational and where decision making remains intergovernmental.
Mistake: Saying that the EU is entirely supranational
Why this is incorrect:
EU governance contains both supranational and intergovernmental elements.
Foreign and security policy in particular continues to depend heavily on member-state agreement.
How to improve:
Always compare the two models:
trade or monetary policy → stronger supranational features
foreign and security policy → stronger intergovernmental features
Mistake: Assuming that all EU member states use the euro
Why this is incorrect:
EMU applies across the EU in different ways, while the common monetary policy and euro apply to euro-area members.
How to improve:
Write "euro-area states"Â when referring specifically to common monetary policy.
Mistake: Saying that the EU has its own standing army
Why this is incorrect:
The EU can undertake civilian and military missions, but military capabilities are supplied by member states.
How to improve:
Distinguish between:
EU military cooperation and missions
and
national ownership of military forces
Mistake: Using "economic power" and "structural power" as if they are identical
Why this is incorrect:
Economic influence concerns material economic capacity, trade and monetary relationships.
Structural influence concerns the ability to shape the rules and institutions through which global politics operates.
How to improve:
For example:
single market = economic influence
EU representation within the WTO and the ability to shape regulatory frameworks = structural influence
Mistake: Writing that EU membership simply removes sovereignty
Why this is incorrect:
Integration places constraints on independent action in some areas, but states retain substantial authority and may also gain greater collective influence through EU membership.
How to improve:
Use the distinction:
less unilateral freedom in some areas, but potentially greater collective capacity.
Mistake: Evaluating EU power without criteria
Why this is incorrect:
The EU may have different levels and forms of influence across economics, diplomacy, international institutions and military affairs.
How to improve:
Structure an essay around:
economic → political → structural → military → constraints
This gives your judgement a clear evidential basis.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
Examine the differences between supranational and intergovernmental approaches within the European Union.
(12)
Indicative mark scheme
AO1 knowledge and understanding may include:
Supranationalism involves giving significant authority to institutions above the state.
Intergovernmentalism involves cooperation between sovereign states.
The EU contains both forms.
The ECB provides an example of supranational authority in euro-area monetary policy.
The European Council represents national governments.
Foreign and security policy retains strong intergovernmental characteristics.
AO2 analysis may include:
Supranationalism places greater restrictions on completely independent state action.
Intergovernmentalism protects national control but may make agreement harder.
The EU's mixed structure means that the balance between national and European authority differs by policy area.
Consequently, the EU may act more coherently externally in some areas than others.
Question 2
Examine the differences between the EU's economic and military influence in global politics.
(12)
Indicative mark scheme
AO1 knowledge and understanding may include:
The EU has a single market and common trade policy.
It is a member of the WTO.
EMU includes coordinated economic arrangements and common monetary policy within the euro area.
The EU operates the CSDP.
The EU can undertake civilian and military missions.
Military capabilities remain largely supplied by member states.
AO2 analysis may include:
Economic integration gives the EU substantial capacity for collective international action.
Military action is more dependent on sovereign national governments.
EU economic policy contains stronger supranational elements than its defence arrangements.
Member-state sovereignty therefore places greater constraints on military than on some forms of economic action.
Question 3
Examine the differences between the EU's political and structural influence as a global actor.
(12)
Indicative mark scheme
AO1 knowledge and understanding may include:
Political influence includes diplomacy and common external positions.
The EU maintains diplomatic representation internationally.
Structural influence concerns participation in and influence over international rules and institutions.
The EU participates directly in the WTO.
The single market may also affect standards applied by external actors.
AO2 analysis may include:
Political influence depends strongly on the ability of members to agree on a common external position.
Structural influence can operate through established institutions and regulatory frameworks.
A lack of unity may weaken political action even where the EU retains substantial economic and structural capacity.
Question 4
Examine the ways in which Economic and Monetary Union has deepened European integration.
(12)
Indicative mark scheme
AO1 knowledge and understanding may include:
EMU involves coordination of economic and fiscal policies.
Euro-area states share a common monetary policy.
The ECB determines monetary policy for the euro area.
Participating states use a common currency.
Important areas of economic policy nevertheless remain under national control.
AO2 analysis may include:
EMU places monetary authority above individual participating states.
A shared currency increases economic interdependence.
Common rules place limits on completely independent national economic action.
Continuing national control over other policies demonstrates that integration remains incomplete rather than creating a single European state.
Question 5
Evaluate the view that the European Union's global influence is primarily economic rather than political.
(30)
Indicative mark scheme
Evidence supporting the view may include:
The EU operates a large integrated single market.
It has a common external trade policy.
The EU is itself a WTO member.
The European Commission represents member states in most WTO activity.
EMU and the euro create additional international economic influence.
Economic policy contains substantial elements of supranational decision making.
Alternative evidence may include:
The EU has an extensive diplomatic role.
It participates in international forums and relations with other states and regional organisations.
Common foreign-policy institutions provide mechanisms for collective action.
The EU can use diplomacy, aid, sanctions and security missions.
Political influence may extend beyond purely economic issues.
AO3:
Students should decide how "influence" will be measured and compare evidence from both dimensions. A substantiated judgement should be based on the relative reach, coherence and independence of EU action in economic and political affairs.
Question 6
Evaluate the view that intergovernmentalism is the main obstacle preventing the EU from becoming a more influential global actor.
(30)
Indicative mark scheme
Evidence supporting the view may include:
Foreign-policy decisions often require agreement between member governments.
States may have different national interests.
Military resources remain principally controlled by national governments.
An absence of agreement can make common action difficult.
Intergovernmentalism therefore limits the EU's ability to act independently.
Alternative evidence may include:
Intergovernmental cooperation can still produce significant collective action.
Economic and trade policy contains stronger supranational features.
The EU already participates directly in international organisations.
Structural and economic influence does not depend on the creation of a single sovereign European government.
Other constraints, including military capabilities and the distribution of powers between institutions and member states, also affect EU influence.
AO3:
Students should compare intergovernmentalism with other possible constraints rather than treating it as an automatic explanation for every limitation on EU action.
Question 7
Evaluate the view that the EU has greater structural influence than military influence in global politics.
(30)
Indicative mark scheme
Evidence concerning structural influence may include:
The EU is a WTO member in its own right.
The Commission normally represents EU members in WTO affairs.
The common trade policy allows collective action.
The scale of the single market gives EU rules international relevance.
EU involvement in international institutions provides opportunities to influence global frameworks.
Evidence concerning military influence may include:
The EU has developed the CSDP.
It can undertake civilian and military missions.
EU security structures provide mechanisms for cooperation.
However, military capabilities are predominantly supplied by member states.
Foreign and defence decisions retain substantial intergovernmental characteristics.
AO3:
Students should compare the EU's ability to shape international structures with its ability to deploy and control military resources. Conclusions should be substantiated by evidence from both dimensions rather than assuming that all forms of power are directly comparable.
Question 8
Evaluate the view that supranationalism has strengthened the European Union's ability to act as a global organisation.
(30)
Indicative mark scheme
Evidence supporting the view may include:
Common institutions can give EU action greater consistency.
The common trade policy enables collective external representation.
The ECB provides centralised monetary policy for the euro area.
European legal and regulatory structures can increase coherence.
Acting collectively may give members greater bargaining influence.
Alternative evidence may include:
Important areas remain intergovernmental.
Foreign and security policy depends strongly on national governments.
Member states retain separate national interests.
Military capabilities remain principally national.
Global influence can also arise from cooperation between sovereign states without extensive supranational authority.
AO3:
Students should assess whether greater centralisation is necessary for international influence or whether the combination of supranational institutions and intergovernmental cooperation provides different forms of influence in different policy areas.
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