LUCIO LEVI

Completamento del mercato interno e unione europea

N. 148

Summary — The Single European Act, which represents a revision of the institutive treaty of the EEC, has fixed the date of 31 December 1992 for the completion of the internal market. It is an objective already included in the Treaty of Rome, but partly unrealized owing to lack of institutions indispensable to govern the European market. The choice of method which is at the basis of the Single Act is to progress in the European integration along the line of the least resistance in accordance with the principles of functionalism, making small steps on the economic field, but eluding the crucial question of the transfer of sovereignty in favour of a European government.

The a. remembers that, according to the principles of the best liberal tradition, a market cannot operate without a currency and without a government. Governments ate actively working to overcome the first limit. In fact a treaty is being prepared that may set up a central bank and a European currency.

As regards the reform of the Community's institutions, are still valid the indications contained in the project of the European Union Treaty, approved by the European Parliament in 1984. It attributed to the European Parliament the legislative power (to be jointly carried out with the Council) and of control in respect of the Commission, which should transform into a real European government. This system of government should exercise its powers in the economic sector and successively extend them to security and to foreign policy.

This reform demands that to the European Parliament, the sole assembly invested with democratic legitimacy, representative of all the peoples and of the major political forces of the Community, be attributed the constituent mandate. And to this end, it is necessary to mobilize the constituent power through a referendum allowing to consult the European people.