Above all, several decisions are made at EU level that would previously have been decided at national level, for example, by the Riksdag, the Government or a public authority in Sweden. When decisions are made in the Council of Ministers, Sweden is represented by its Government. In the EU, a distinction is made between supranational and intergovernmental cooperation. Supranational cooperation means that the member states adopt common rules which apply in all member states. Areas where cooperation is supranational in character include agriculture, trade, customs issues, and economic and monetary matters.
Community law has precedence over national laws.
For example, if provisions in a Swedish act of law conflict with Community law, then Community law shall apply. If a national court is unsure of the interpretation of provisions in Community law in a particular situation, it can request a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice. The Court of Justice, then, determines how the rule should be interpreted. Similarily, Intergovernmental cooperation involves an agreement between the member states to coordinate their policies in a number of areas. However, at the same time the countries retain their own decision-making powers.