ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the legal aspects of Article 224. It explores the political issues which Article 224 introduces and their relevance to the wider process of integration. The chapter argues that Articles 224 and 225 encapsulate the early dynamics of the European integration process. It looks at the close connection of Article 224 with defence and security issues and will attempt to explain the European Court of Justice’s position. The chapter analyzes the quasi-paradoxical nature of Article 224 and make a first attempt at a political interpretation. In terms of theories of political integration the realist versus gradualist dialectic, often referred to as the neofunctionalist or federalist versus intergovernmentalist perspectives, has been, and is, at the heart of the debate. The need to co-ordinate ‘high political’ policy areas, such as foreign policy and security, within the context of the Community is an idea as old as the Community itself.
