uit of political unity, although economic integration has also been beset with significant problems. The specific objectives of the three communities are as follows:
1. EURATOM: (a) supplement and coordinate the nuclear research conducted by member countries; (b) pool scientific information; (c) promote the training of scientists and technicians; and (d) the establishment of a common market for nuclear materials and equipment (Paxton, 1988, p. 45).
2. ECSC: (a) the establishment of a common market for coal and steel; and (b) the establishment of a common energy policy for member countries (p. 33).
3. EEC: (a) the establishment of a customs union for member countries; (b) the establishment of an economic union, which includes (1) common transport policies, (2) common external trade policies, (3) the prohibition of agreements or practices which restrict, prevent, or distort fair competition among member countries, and (4) the coordination of financial, commercial, economic, and social policies; and (c) the establishment of a common agricultural policy (pp. 44-45).
In 1970, membership negotiations began between the six member countries of the European Communities and Denmark, the Irish Republic, Norway, and the United Kingdom (UK). On 22 January 1972, these four countries signed a Treaty of Accession to the European Communities. Through a referendum in November of that year, Norway rejected membership in the European Communities (Paxton, 1988, p. 41). In the early 1980s, Greece was brought into the European Communities, as a full member, and, in 1986, both Portugal and Spain were brought in as full European Communities (p. 41).
In the summer of 1978, the member countries of the European Communities agreed to the formation of the European Monetary System (EMS), and the organization became a functional reality in March 1979 (van Ypersele, 1985, p. 4). While the UK is a member of the...