The European Union is a highly influential regional organisation due to its significant economic, political and diplomatic, and military influence.

In terms of economic influence, the EU has a GDP projected at approximately $19.35 trillion in 2024. Its currency, the euro, can pose a threat to the dominance of the US dollar. The EU's share of world trade is larger than that of the United States, allowing it to be more assertive in trade disputes with the US and China. Its economic power gives it influence over its neighbours as well as in Asia and Africa.

Politically and diplomatically, France, an EU member, holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The EU includes several non-permanent UNSC members, enabling it to influence US policies such as the position on Iran's nuclear programme. The EU uses diplomacy, economic investments, and negotiations rather than coercion, as seen in its dialogue with China on human rights and environmental degradation.

Militarily, the EU's combined armed forces are the second largest in the world, with defence spending second only to the US. France possesses approximately 335 nuclear warheads. The EU is also the world's second most important source of space and communications technology.

The EU has evolved from an economic union to an increasingly political one, acting more like a nation state. It has its own flag, anthem, founding date, and currency, along with a common foreign and security policy. As a supranational organisation, it can intervene in economic, political, and social areas, making it highly influential.