The fundamental objective of the European Community was to bring together the nations of Europe so that they should never need or want to go to war with each other again. The complementary objective was to ensure the economic and social progress of its member countries. It was hoped that by integrating the economies of member states, economic interdependence would lead to political interdependence and ultimately, a political union. At the same time wealth would be created and living standards raised throughout the Community. The purpose of this revised and extended book is to try to explain how the policies of the European Community are meant to achieve its primary objectives. A short history of the foundation and major events are included and the formal institutions and the actual decision-making processes are explained. Other chapters deal with the major areas of policy derived from Treaty obligations and subsequent declarations of Heads of Governments in the European Council taking their development up to the end of 1986 and agreement on the Single European Act.