Sovereignty, Economic Integration, and the World Trade Organization

Abstract

Economic integration is altering the role of the state and the concept of sovereignty in international law. Intensifying economic interdependence has rendered sovereignty almost meaningless for an isolated state. However, the transfer and pooling of sovereignty in a jointly designed and mutually acceptable legalistic international institution allows state interests to be both respected and represented at the international level. After addressing the European Union model for managing advanced economic integration, the paper examines the extent to which the legal and institutional attributes of the new World Trade Organization represents a move towards a more legalistic international trade order, entailing a transfer of sovereignty from the state to the international level. Economic integration is altering the role of the state and the concept of sovereignty in international law. Intensifying economic interdependence has rendered sovereignty almost meaningless for an isolated state. However, the transfer and pooling of sovereignty in a jointly designed and mutually acceptable legalistic international institution allows state interests to be both respected and represented at the international level. After addressing the European Union model for managing advanced economic integration, the paper examines the extent to which the legal and institutional attributes of the new World Trade Organization represents a move towards a more legalistic international trade order, entailing a transfer of sovereignty from the state to the international level. L'int6gration 6conomique vise A modifier le r6le de l'ttat et la notion de la souverainet6 en droit international. k cause de l'interd6pendance 6conomique de plus en plus intense, la souverainet6 est devenue presqu'une notion inutile pour un Etat isol6. Toutefois, le transfert de la souverainet6 une institution internationale et 16galiste, cr6e en termes communs par plusieurs 6tats participants, est une fagon de respecter et rappresenter les inter~ts des 6tats au niveau international. D'abord, cet article considbre le mod~le de l'Union Europ~enne quant a la gestion de l'intdgration 6conomique plus difficile. Par la suite, l'article examine les caract~ristiques 16gales et institutionnelles de la World Trade Organization et comment elles rappresentant une tendance vers un ordre commercial plus international et l6galiste, ce qui constitue le transfert de la souverainet6 du niveau national au niveau international.