The term ‘multinational law’ describes a legal framework created by countries working together to achieve a common purpose, as in the EU.
When countries agree to work together, 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 multinational law, using EU Law 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 is a collaborative legal framework that was created and expanded in a series of treaties with the overall aim of ensuring peace and prosperity in Europe.
· 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). It specifies how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is implemented in Europe. Many non-EU 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 is an archive of a page intended to form part of Edition 4 of the Patterns of Power series of books. The latest versions are at book contents).