The publication points to the fact that the multitude of supranational elements in the cooperation of the Member States of the European Union is what distinguishes it from other forms of international integration or cooperation, and highlights the enormous factual and legal significance of these elements for international relations in Europe. The authors analyse the contrast between the supranational method of cooperation and the interstate method, provide a comprehensive view of supranationality with an emphasis on its importance for the construction of today's European Union and its legal anchoring, and explain the position of supranational elements in the functioning of the EU using several EU policies as case studies. It concludes by offering reflections on where to move forward in cooperation between Europeans and European states so that the shared interests and global challenges facing our continent are addressed in the most effective way.