Britain's 1961 application was the first time that the European Community was obliged to consider a membership application from one of its neighbors. Piers Ludlow's study challenges traditional views of the British application and casts new light on the way in which the EEC responded to the challenge of enlargement. The book provides an original analysis of a crucial chapter in European history, and offers important insights into differing conceptions of the European Community that remain relevant to contemporary debates.