The purpose of this research is to examine the increased economic integration which is slated to occur within the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1992. The Single Act of Luxembourg, which, by 1987, had been ratified by all EEC member countries, is the vehicle which is designed to bring about this integration (Paxton, 1988, p. 41).
The initial discussion following this introduction traces the major developments within the EEC since the Community was created by the Treaty of Rome in 1957, became a functioning reality in 1958, and the first internal trade barriers actually were removed in 1959. Following this discussion of the development of the EEC, (1) the essentials of the Single Act of Luxembourg are explained, together with the goals they are intended to attain, (2) an assessment is made of the EEC's contention that the Single Act will not result in a "fortress Europe," but will, instead, create a "partnership of Europe," and (3) specific sticky internal issues, such as textile and automobile protection, product standards, and so forth, affecting integration are examined.
The EEC was created with the signing of a treaty in Rome in 1957, by Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands (Paxton, 1988, p. 41). The European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) was created at the same time, by the same treaty, and with the same membership (p. 45). Each of these organizations became functioning realities on 1 January 1958 (pp. 41, 45). Prior to the creation of the EEC and EURATOM, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) had been created by a treaty signed in Paris in 1951 (p. 43). The ECSC was comprised of the same six member countries which formed the EEC and EURATOM, and became a functional reality on 10 August 1952 (p. 43).
Until 1 July 1967, each of the three communities the EEC, EURATOM, and ECSC functioned as separate entities, although there we...