Integration Political and Legal Analysis of Dispute Resolution and Prospects for Digitalization of Justice in the Eurasian Economic Union

Abstract

The article refers to a system of dispute resolution in the Eurasian Economic Union, tendencies of its reforming and prospects for digitalization as a fundamental feature of regional integration policy improvement. A complex variety of disputes in an integration association is considered: interstate, supranational vertical, supranational horizontal, and cross-border. The appropriate mechanisms for each of them and rationale to enhance integration are discussed. The authors suggest amendments for enhancing the cooperation of the EAEU Court with national courts, as well as evolving other mechanisms (arbitration and mediation). Digitalization of justice is an important element of effective regional policy. Digitization elements, including the Court’s e-cabinets for the parties, electronic signature, digital documents’ circulation, make regional justice accessible, it contributes to peoples’ loyalty for integration decisions. The article proves the necessity to harmonize approaches to online dispute settlement in a transboundary context in the EAEU; the authors draw attention to low-cost cross-border disputes in this context and consider an opportunity of creating online dispute resolution platform driven by the Commission. Improvements in regional system of dispute resolution are proved necessary to sustain integration economic and political processes in Eurasia, to promote transparency, accessibility of justice as an element of regional integration policy.