Decision Making In The European Union

International organisations have become major players in global affairs, with the European Union standing out as especially powerful. But the EU’s decision-making processes often attract sharp criticism: requiring agreement among many states can cause paralysis, while overriding individual states raises concerns about sovereignty. This episode explores a new study that revisits how the EU has historically grappled with this tension, focusing on two pivotal moments—the Luxembourg Compromise of 1966 and the Paris Summit of 1974. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about the (in)effectiveness of decision making in the EU, and offer fresh insights into how the EU really works.

Alan Renwick is joined by Dr Jonathan Golub, Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Reading, and our very own Dr Michal Ovádek, Lecturer in European Institutions, Politics and Policy here in the UCL Department of Political Science.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Golub, J. and Ovádek, M. (2024) Informal procedures, institutional change, and EU decision-making: evaluating the effects of the 1974 Paris summit.