Common Market Law Review

Common Market Law Review is a scholarly law journal established in 1963 focusing on European Economic Community and European Union law, jurisprudence, and policy. It publishes articles, notes, and case comments addressing decisions by courts such as the Court of Justice of the European Union, legislative acts of institutions like the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, and treaties including the Treaty of Rome, the Treaty of Maastricht, and the Treaty of Lisbon. The journal serves academics, judges, and practitioners interested in developments at bodies such as the European Parliament, the European Court of Human Rights, and the European Central Bank.

History

The journal was founded in 1963 in the context of debates following the Treaty of Rome and the formation of the European Economic Community. Early contributors included scholars and officials connected to institutions such as the European Commission, the European Court of Justice, and national ministries of justice in states like France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Over decades the Review chronicled landmark moments including the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty, the Amsterdam Treaty, and the Lisbon Treaty, as well as enlargement waves involving Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, and later Eastern Bloc accessions from countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary. The journal documented jurisprudence from judges such as Jean Monnet-era figures and later influential jurists who appeared before the Court of Justice of the European Union and national constitutional courts like the Bundesverfassungsgericht and the Conseil constitutionnel.

Scope and content

The Review covers legal developments relating to treaties and secondary legislation adopted by the European Council, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, and the European Parliament. Its scope spans case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union, the General Court (European Union), and references to the European Court of Human Rights, as well as national constitutional adjudication from courts in United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Netherlands. Subject matter includes competition law decisions involving firms like Microsoft, Google, and Intel as well as regulatory initiatives from the European Central Bank and financial supervision by the European Banking Authority. The Review publishes analyses of external relations with entities such as World Trade Organization, agreements like the Single Market architecture, customs union arrangements, and trade deals with partners including United States, China, Japan, and Norway. It addresses specialized topics such as free movement rights affecting citizens of Ireland and Denmark, state aid cases, internal market harmonization instruments, and institutional reforms prompted by events like the Eurozone crisis and the Brexit referendum.

Editorial structure and publication

The editorial board traditionally comprises scholars drawn from universities and research institutes such as University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, University of Oxford, Cambridge University, College of Europe, London School of Economics, Università di Bologna, and Humboldt University of Berlin. Editors have included professors affiliated with organizations like the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law and members of advisory bodies to the European Commission and national governments. The Review is published quarterly by Kluwer Law International with issues containing peer-reviewed articles, book reviews referencing works published by houses such as Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, and case notes discussing judgments from the Court of Justice of the European Union. The production schedule aligns with academic calendars in jurisdictions including Belgium, Luxembourg, and Ireland and distributes through institutional subscriptions held by law libraries at institutions such as Harvard Law School, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, and Yale Law School.

Impact and reception

Scholars cite the Review in monographs and articles across publishers like Hart Publishing and Routledge, and courts reference its analyses in decisions from the Court of Justice of the European Union and national supreme courts including the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Federal Constitutional Court (Germany). The journal has shaped debates around landmark doctrines such as direct effect, supremacy, and preliminary references originating in cases like Costa v ENEL and Van Gend en Loos; it has also been discussed in the context of policy responses to crises like the 2008 financial crisis and the Sovereign debt crisis of the eurozone. Reviews in other periodicals such as European Law Review and citations in bibliographies for conferences hosted by entities like the European University Institute reflect its standing in comparative and international legal scholarship.

Indexing and availability

The Review is indexed in major legal databases and bibliographic services including HeinOnline, Westlaw, LexisNexis, Scopus, and Web of Science. Academic libraries across institutions such as Sorbonne University, University of Edinburgh, and KU Leuven maintain subscriptions; digital access is provided through publisher platforms used by consortia like JSTOR and institutional repositories at universities including Ghent University and University of Copenhagen. Back issues document development from the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community to contemporary disputes involving European Stability Mechanism instruments and are frequently cited in doctoral dissertations at centers like the Max Planck Society and the European University Institute.

Category:Law journals