2. The unique nature of the European legal order

The unique nature of the new legal order can be described as follows:

• Intergovernmental and Supranational characteristics exist side by side. Among the four main institutions of the EU, the Council is an intergovernmental organ, while the Commission, the Parliament and the Court of Justice have Supranational features. The structure, the role and power of the institutions give the main character to that unique legal entity. The unique institutional framework has led to a singular decision-making mechanism.
• It has a strong framework of EU institutions endowed with power to make laws, binding on Member States, individuals and the EU institutions themselves.
• It has strong structures and detailed rules for the implementation and enforcement of Community law, including legal consequences for those who fail to apply it.
• The Treaties, especially the EC Treaty, are much more extensive in their scope than most international agreements embracing many areas of activity usual belonged to national law alone.
• The Community law is exceptional in the extent to which it permeates domestic law, creating rights and obligations enforceable by and even against individuals before their national courts.

Observing of the unique legal nature of the EU, its three pillar structure must be noted. While in the first so called Community pillar, the Community method and the Supranational features are significant, in the second and third pillars the intergovernmental elements are in majority.