The creation of European supranational institutions after World War II
formalised a European integration process that had been going on for
centuries. In the post-war era, Western European countries were brought
closer than ever by their search for prosperity and stability in a new
international order where they did not dominate anymore. As times and
politics remained uncertain, economic cooperation looked like a good
first step towards a peaceful and prosperous Europe. This led to the
creation of the ECSC, EEC and EURATOM, which were the institutional
foundation stones upon which the current European Union was built.

Starting with the diplomatic crisis over the CAP in 1965, the EU has been
strained by the differing views and intentions of its Member States,
giving birth to a supranational institution sui generis: it is not a Federal
state, but it has reached more extended and exclusive powers than any
other international organisation. The diversity of interests within the EU
grew through an increasingly heterogeneous membership and through
the exposure to unprecedented international crises, like the euro crisis
and the migration crisis in recent years. Whilst having shown flexibility
and reactivity through the regular renewal of treaties, the lack of
consensus on key policies and on the role of national sovereignty makes
the future of the EU uncertain and the road towards closer European
integration more challenging than expected.