European Union: Economic Integrationor Political Integration? and Understanding of the EU’s Decision-Making Process

Abstract

The main purposes of this study were (1) to develop understanding of the nature of the European Union motives and trying to answer questions; is the EU a political or an economic union (2) to examine the agenda setting process in EU’s decision making by looking at the EU policy making procedures and the distribution of agenda setting power to the EU main institutions. This study focuses on various empirical studies and use of both the qualitative and quantitative methods. The study revealed that (1) The EU, being one of the strongest regional blocs nowadays despite the EU still exist with a survival matter towards integrated union, both economically and politically ; (2) Yet, as long as these the EU member countries are concerned with national sovereignty and interests, an integrative union remains a challenge ; and (3) In the complexity of the legislative procedures in the EU, not only the Commission but also the Parliament and the Council were granted the agenda setting power with different leverage.