This document provides an overview of the UK's past, present, and future relationship with the EU. It outlines key dates in the UK's entry and membership in the EU/EEC. It also describes some of the 40+ EU agencies the UK currently participates in. The document then discusses the red lines for the UK and EU27 in negotiating their future relationship as the UK exits the EU. The UK wants control over immigration and jurisdiction while remaining in the single market, while the EU wants to maintain the link between the single market and free movement and defend the unity of the EU.
3. Ø January 29, 1963 : De Gaulle vetoed the UK's entry into the then European Economic
Community (EEC)
Ø November 27, 1967: De Gaulle vetoed against the UK’s entry into the then EEC
Ø January 1, 1973: UK joined the EEC.
Ø June 5, 1975: United Kingdom European Community (Common Market) membership
referendum : UK should stay in the EC (67.23%)
European integration is more than a UK issue:
June 2, 1992: The Danish against the Maastricht Treaty (50,7%) (In France, the « petit oui » with only 51% for)
May 29, 2005: France should not ratify the proposed constitution of the EU (54.67%)
June 1, 2005: The Netherlands against approval by the Netherlands of the treaty establishing a constitution for
Europe (61.54%)
Ø June 23, 2016: United Kingdom European Union membership referendum: UK should leave the
EU (51,89%)
UK-EU Past Relationship
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4. UK-EU Present Relationship
Ø More than 40 EU Agencies:
ü Cross-border transport (e.g. the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the
European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA))
ü Safety standards for products (e.g. the Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the Medicines
Agency (EMA) which is UK based)
ü Environment Agency (EEA), the Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), EUROPOL, European
Banking Authority (EBA)
Ø 73 UK’s MEPs
Ø Court of Justice of the European Union’s jurisdiction
Ø More than 2000 European Legal Acts (Regulations, Directives and Decisions) in
2016 (Eur-Lex statistics)
Ø Trade Agreements with around 50 countries
Ø 1700 Multilateral and Bilateral Conventions
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5. UK-EU Future Relationship (1/2)
Ø UK’s red lines (The United Kingdom’s exit from and new partnership with
the EU White Paper):
• Free Trade Agreement (no membership to the Single Market)
• Controlling immigration (numbers and profiles)
• New Customs Agreement (no membership to EU Customs Union, no EU
Common External Tariff, no Common Commercial Policy)
• New form of dispute resolution mechanisms (no jurisdiction for the Court of
Justice of the European Union)
• Disengagement from the EU Budget – Possible contributions to participate in
“selected” European Programmes
• Securing rights for EU nationals in the UK and UK nationals in the EU
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6. UK-EU Future Relationship (2/2)
Ø EU27’s red lines (shared, more or less, by all):
• Maintain the link between the single market and free movement (No cherry
picking)
• Defend the unity of the EU (the corollary is no bilateral negotiation)
• Brexit must be a worse deal than membership
• Preserve EU citizens’ rights in the UK
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