The Balancing of Community and National Interests by the European Court

Abstract

Problems similar to those that have, for many years, occupied the courts of the United States, Canada and Australia in interpreting a federal charter now confront the judicial arm of the European Community. Professor Zines develops a comparison between the approach that has found favour in the European Court and the approach of the courts of those Federations, although he admits that such a comparison has innate limitations. From a study of the revelant cases Professor Zines concludes that the European Court, by adopting a functional approach, has strengthened community rather than state interests. He discusses in detail how the Court has achieved this result by relying on the broad economic and political objects which are recognised as underlying the Treaty, rather than by strict legal construction of its provisions.