Interjurisdictional Cooperation in MERCOSUR: The first request for an advisory opinion of the Supreme Court of Justice of argentina to the MERCOSUR’s permanent review court: The Case Sancor.

Abstract

This article discusses the request for an advisory opinion originated in Case "Sancor c/ Dirección General de Aduanas". This case emerged from the resolution of the Argentine Ministry of Economy which set export duties of 5% to certain milk products, without discriminating the destination of them, i.e. including members and as well as non-members of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR). In this way, and after a long judicial process, in October 2009 Argentina’s Supreme Court of Justice (CSJN) requested an advisory opinion to the Permanent Review Court of the MERCOSUR, asking the question "Does the Treaty of Asunción require Member States of MERCOSUR the obligation not to impose duties on exports of goods which are originated in one of them and which have another Member State as its final destination?" This article describes the historical circumstances surrounding the Argentine governmental measure, and then analyzes three specific issues related to the request of the advisory opinion by the Supreme Court: 1) the place of international law in the Argentine legal system, 2) the procedural legitimacy of the decision of the Court, and 3) some substantial topics involved in the requested advisory opinion.