The legal essence of the European Union in modern realities

Abstract

The paper describes main approaches that characterize the legal essence of the European Union. The author expresses an opinion on the appropriateness of understanding the EU as an international organization of a special kind (sui generis), which combines elements of classical international organizations with supranational features in its functioning. As a factor confirming this opinion, the current process of termination of UK’s membership in the EU — Brexit — s given.