The removal of technical barriers to trade and consumer protection were the basic considerations behind the Council Resolution which gave the Commission of the European Communities the task of approximating the laws of the Member States as regards materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. Considerable progress has been made in 14 years of Commission activity, but much remains to be done to construct a single market, the prime objective of the Treaty of Rome. This article provides a brief account of the principal results obtained, together with an outline of the strategy pursued by the Commission in its activities and the basic reasons behind the choices made. It also discusses prospects and future programmes.