Just from a utilitarian standpoint, I understand that a lot of the stuff it does or is is garbage, like its sprawling and often inefficient bureacracy, or the red tape and regulations I've heard it overuses and pointlessly throws around and slaps onto everything.
At the same time however, I believe a single trade union and relatively open borders between most of the countries of Europe, which for now at least are mostly filled with good non-terrorist non-idiot populations. Additionally it does incredible work towards scientific funding for large and invaluable projects, like the Human Brain Project, nuclear fusion (ITER), and space travel, among many others. Not only that but Europe is the most peaceful it's ever been, with no major wars in non-former Soviet bloc countries since the end of WWII.
I understand a lot of the bullshit the EU does pisses people off justifiably and is retarded, like its promotion of leftism/liberalism constantly perhaps against the interest of native Europeans, attacking anything Right-Wing, giving Germany too much power, and many other things, but I still believe that the EU is a net benefit to Europe and its separate economies overall. Am I wrong?