Prospects of further development of the Caribbean region integration under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas

Abstract

The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), which came into force in January 2006, transformed the Common Market, established in 1973 by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) pursuant to the Treaty of Chaguaramas, into the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). This article analyses the three main obstacles that impede the progress in the deepening of regional integration within the framework of the RTC. They are: attachment of the Member States to dualism, the decision-making process in the CSME based on the inter-governmental method, and the lack of sanctions that could be put on a Member State for refusal to comply with a judicial decision rendered by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) upon finding a Member State in breach of Community law. The CCJ has compulsory and exclusive jurisdiction to interpret and apply the RTC, and, like the European Court of Justice with regard to European Union (EU) law, is the main engine of integration within the RTC. This article examines possible options, in light of the EU’s experience and judgments delivered by the CCJ, which have allowed overcoming the difficulties resulting from the existence of the above obstacles, with a view to advancing integration in the Caribbean region.