The EU's internal policies

The purpose of this chapter is to present the EU’s main internal policies in a way that compliments discussions of the EU’s institutions and policy-making processes in Chapters 3 and 5. The chapter first describes the different kinds of powers that the EU does and does not have, exploring how the EU requires the administrations of the member states to implement most of its policies. It then discusses many (not all) of the EU’s internal policies under three distinct headings. First, it discusses policies designed to build and expand the internal market, which remains the foundation of the project of European integration. Second, it explores policies designed to cushion, or correct, the impact of the internal market. Finally, it discusses policies that took the EU into new realms, beyond the original vision of constructing an internal market – realms that are associated with core state powers such as money, borders, and internal security