How is the European Union (EU) understood from the perspective of international law? Much of the discussion about the EU in international law scholarship has dealt with questions such as whether the EU can still be considered a ‘creature of international law’, and whether EU law should be considered international law. The question addressed here is different. It focuses on how the EU fits within the wider system of international law. The way that the EU is perceived and dealt with from the perspective of international law is legally relevant when the EU acts on the plane of international law.