Until 1 July 1967, each of the three communitiesthe EEC, EURATOM, and ECSCfunctioned as separate entities, although there were some common institutions. On 1 July 1967, however, the executives of the three communities were merged into a single commission, and the goals and objectives of the three communities are pursued in a coordinated and cohesive manner.

The longterm goals of the communities are (1) the integration of the economies of the member countries, and (2) 3

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 sig

Tully, S. (1988, 1 February). Europe gets ready for 1992. Fortune, 81.

Taxing work. (1988, 16 January). The Economist, Supplement, 1315.

nificant problems. The specific objectives of the three communities are as follows:

Although the European Communities have passed through many structural transitions, they really do not (and cannot) speak with a single political voice in contemporary international relations. The development of the European Economic Community 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, & McAllister, 1988, p. 1).

8misconstrued as proof that the European Communities can act in a similar way with respect to external political issues (Brewin, & McAllister, 1988). With respect to external political issues, the European Communities, as a single body, have very little more power to act independently of their member states than does the United Nations to act independently of the five permanent member states of the Security Council which may exercise a veto in that organization (Brewin, & McAllister, 1988).