ABSTRACT
Within the European bloc, only 4 of the 15 member states of the European Union (EU) are full members of the G7/8, even though the EU itself has participated in the annual summit since 1977. European integration is meant to create an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, through a process in which decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizens. The EU in particular strives for consistency among its activities as a whole in the context of its external relations, economic, and development policies. In order to determine whether there is influence or interdependence between the EU and the G7/8, it is useful to compare the outcomes of the two institutions’ June 1999 Summits — the European Council from 3 to 4 June 1999 and the G7/8 Summit from 18 to 20 June 1999. The power and authority of supranational organisations are not confined to one but embrace many spheres.
