The article considers the main stages of European law-making, traces the historical development of the law of the European Union. European law is considered as a set of legal norms that regulate the relationships which develop within the framework of European integration associations. An attempt was made to reveal the role of the EU legal system in creating a political and legal space in which European legal and administrative norms operate; the structure and functions of the EU institutions are outlined in terms of assessing the degree of their supranationality. The main scientific and practical significance of this study lies, in particular, in the possibility of using its provisions to enrich the concept of the legal standing of international organizations.