5.3.5 Multinational Law, for Groupings such as the EU
When countries agree to work together to achieve a common purpose, they agree to accept group decisions rather than retaining specific aspects of their autonomy. They bind themselves because, by doing so, they bind the others in the group in the same way.
The following sub-sections describe different aspects of such an arrangement, using the European Union as the clearest example:
● Several collaborative legal frameworks have been created in Africa and South America (5.3.5.1), along similar lines to the example of the EU.
● EU law is explored here in more detail (5.3.5.2). It was created and expanded in a series of treaties, keeping it under collective political control.
● National sovereignty is modified, but not subjugated, by EU Law (5.3.5.3). Any country wishing to trade with the EU must meet its trading standards, but EU members can participate in setting them.
● All EU members must be signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights (5.3.5.4). Many other countries also subscribe to it.
● Britain’s rejection of EU law was a power grab by politicians who wanted to be able to undermine regulations and people’s human rights, without external interference, for domestic political advantage (5.3.5.5).
This page is intended to form part of Edition 4 of the Patterns of Power series of books. An archived copy of it is held at https://www.patternsofpower.org/edition04/535.htm.