ABSTRACT
This chapter makes an attempt to determine the extent to which the ideas and some of the interests which shaped the original Treaty of Rome have continued to influence the policies and the development of the European Union. The Single European Act constituted the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome since the founding the European Economic Community. The Treaty on European Union (TEU) represented such a major step forward in the integration of Europe that it has become the subject of a large number of commentaries and studies. Konrad Adenauer's belief in the building of Europe was so intense that he insisted on making all the concessions which were necessary to make a common European agricultural policy a reality. The common agricultural policy which came into force in 1962 had three main components: a single market, Community preference and financial solidarity.
