European Court of Justice

Within the context of international regional integration, there are five levels(1) freetrade area, (2) customs union, (3) common market, (4) economic union, and (5) political union (Grosse, & Kujawa, 1988). Each successive level involves agreater degree of integration. At the lowest level of integration, the freetrade area, tariffs are eliminated on the trade between the member countries. At the next level, the customs union, common external tariffs are applied to all trade between the member countries and non member countries. The third level, the common market, moves one step further along, and permits the free flow of the factors of production among member countries. At the fourth level, economic union, monetary and fiscal harmonization among member countries is added to the common market system. The final level, political union,

2involves the creation of a single government over all member countries, and the loss of national identity for the individual member states of the union.

The European Communities are comprised of a number of separate

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er states of the Security Council which may exercise a veto in that organization (Brewin, & McAllister, 1988, p. 8). The Single Act of Luxembourg, which, by 1987, had been ratified by all European Communities member countries, is the vehicle which is designed to bring about the complete economic integration of the communities (Paxton, 1990). Common communities responses to international political crises, defense, and other matters are also envisioned by the Single Act. This part of the act, however, causes Britain, in particular, to worry about its independent freedom of action, and Ireland to worry about its constitutional neutrality. To get unanimous assent from the 12 member countries to the Single Act, it was necessary to insert a clause into the Act which enabled member countries to opt out of an action, 5if they felt it was detrimental to their national interest. Opting out, however, is a difficult process, and a risky step for both the European Communities, as an entity, and for individual countries. Thus, it is unlikely that the procedure will be used often. It is more likely that, in instances where member states are seriously divided on a political response, no action will be taken in the
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Approximate Word count = 2072
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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