manner (Paxton, 1989, p. 44). Although the creation of the Commission, which consists of members representing each member state, was a significant step, it did not provide the EC with a common voice particularly in external relations.
The Council of Ministers, also composed of the member nations of the EC, represents the national interests of EC member states. The Council has the authority to overrule some actions taken by the Commission in the name of the EC as a single entity (Brewin, 1987, p. 2). It has been held that the contemporary European Council of government leaders "seems to be providing the political authority characteristic of a classic confederation" (Brewin & McAllister, 1988, p. 433).
The long term goals of the communities are (1) the integration of the economies of the member countries, and (2) political unity. Pursuit of economic integration has been both more rapid and more successful than has the pursuit of political unity, although economic integration has also been beset with significant problems. An understanding of the development of a single political voice for the EC, therefore, requires an appreciation of the political status of the EC.
Although the EC has passed through many structural transitions, it really does not (and cannot) speak with a single political voice in contemporary international relations. The development of the EC into the world's largest economic force has, however, compelled "third parties to treat . . . it as an important actor in its own right. Yet it is plainly not a sovereign state" (Brewin, 1987, p. 1).
With respect to internal law, actions by the member states of the EC, together with rulings of the European Court, have created a situation which is consistent with a conception of the EC as a union of states (Brewin, 1987, p. 2). Such decisive developments, however, have not occurred with respect to the external relations of the EC (Brew...