First, the multiple European legal sources (e.g., laws of the European Community, conventions of the Council of Europe, and the Schengen Agreement) are surveyed. The plurality of interests (national concerns, European interests, safety concerns, and the protection of human rights) which underlies the different legislative policies are also examined. Several essays point out areas of common legislative interest: the entry, residency, and work permit for foreigners within the European Community; offenses which transcend borders such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and white collar crime; and fraud against the European Community. After a description of common control mechanisms and sanctions, the study suggests some principles on which a common European criminal policy might be based; these include a greater uniformity in the different national laws, a close collaboration among the criminal justice systems of the member countries, and a police and court system under the direction of the European Community. An index and 4 pages of bibliographical references are included.