The world has several times seen the unions of countries and nations, some of which are still present today. EEC stands for European Economic Community and is one such union. The original name for EEC is the Treaty of Rome, which was signed on March 25, 1957. The European Community is the present-day European Union. The reason for the treaty was an unpredictable relationship between the people of Europe, the Soviet Union, and the Western nations. When the possible threat dissipated, the union focused more on global matters. The main goal was to unite the people of Europe and establish a closer and more “friendly” contact between the countries and peoples of Europe. It was directed towards social and economic progress. The immediate aims were to have a Common Market, which would benefit everyone economically. The influence of two World Wars has greatly impacted the nations and the Treaty would direct the efforts to resolve the problematic situations encountered by some nations. One of the most important long-term goals was to avoid any wars in Europe. Also, the people of Europe would have the highest freedoms of liberty, democracy, and person’s rights. The treaty was directed to unite Europe about the global economy and create a common transportation system, nationality, security, and defense systems. It would also be a monetary union, which would provide for easy products and services exchange between the borders. An important aspect of the Union is that all the countries involved must be obligated to carry out the rulings and laws set by the European Court of Justice.
The ECJ is the judicial institution that answers to matters that relate to each nation included in the union. Its headquarters are located in Luxemburg and it consists of 27 judges. This is an independent court that is guaranteed to act in the best common interest and not on its own. A function of the ECJ is to make sure that the laws of other nations in the EU are adequate and fair. If there are any questions in the law, the nation or the party in doubt will forward the request to the European Court of Justice and it will make a decision. In case a decision is made and the ECJ confirms that the nation’s law violates democratic or any other rights, the nation or country must obey immediately and without delay. In the case of Ireland and preliminary hearings, the same procedure applies. The Court of Justice Act, 1924, which is called an Act of the Oireachtas, was the new system of courts in Ireland, as it became a free state. The courts that were in force when Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom no longer had the authority to make the decisions. So, in case there was a dispute within Ireland and its National Court, the request would be sent to the European Court of Justice to make a preliminary ruling. There is a cooperation between the National Courts within the European Union and so they take an active part in making the decision. But in case the decision is not made, the primary authority is taken by the ECJ. A similar procedure would take place if the National Court of Ireland believes that a law is outdated and no longer applies. It would send a request to the ECJ and wait for the decision. The EC J’s decision is final and cannot be disputed.