This is the 13th revised edition of this publication which covers the whole spectrum of EU activities, both in the internal market (including the single currency, social policy, competition and industry, transport, agriculture and environmental protection) and in international relations (including EU relations with other European countries and the United States). It seeks to clarify the functioning of European institutions and treaties, as well as explain EU initiatives, legal provisions and economic programmes. It takes an interdisciplinary approach in order to examine EU policy development, and references to EU official texts are given throughout.