The European Social Fund has often been overshadowed by more visible European Union social and economic policies. It is, however, integral to the construction and development of the EU and has played a central role in the impact of the EU on individual member states.Based upon a study of the ESF and a range of social policy documents from the Treaty of Rome to the Treaty of Amsterdam, this analysis examines the connections between the ESF and other areas of EU policy. The European Social Fund and the EU will be of particular use to anyone interested in social and economic regeneration across the European Union.