1. European Union – European Economic Community (it was the previous name of European Union):
European Coal and Steel Community in 1952 (6 countries started it - it was the first way of association) – EURATOM,
1957 – the Treaty of Rome (6 countries: Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France),
it established customs union (when you are the member of it, you mustn’t pay custom duties in trade),
then European Atomic Energy Community was created,
1960s:
France didn’t want Britain in the community; Charles de Gaulle – president of France - was against the British; he was afraid of language (English instead of French) and in Britain was totally different policy and the United Kingdom was important part of commonwealth,
Britain didn’t want to be hindered by economic connection with Europe,
in 1969 Charles de Gaulle resigned (it was the positive element in being in Union for Britain),
1970s – all election programmes favoured negotiations for entry,
1972 – there were votes in both House of Parliament,
1973 – the United Kingdom joined with Denmark and Ireland,
1974 - Nationwide referendum took place in the United Kingdom (people could vote for or against joining to European Union),
1993 – the Treaty of Maastricht (the name of this organisation changed into European Union),
1979 – there was first election to European Parliament (since that time Parliament started to be main government body),
1985 – Schengen Agreement was signed and it created open borders (we don’t have to show passports or visas),
2002 – euro as common currency was introduced (but each country can decide if they want this currency or not – the United Kingdom don’t want euro),
27 states are members.
2. European Parliament – it is government body; it has many members from particular country and the United Kingdom has 73 members there.
3. Strasburg and Brussels are main places where are main European institutions.
4. Nationwide referendum took place in the United Kingdom in 1974 and people could vote for or against joining to European Union.
5. Britain objects to:
agricultural policy (the United Kingdom believed that they spend more than received),
monetary union and common currency (they resign to accept euro),
uniformity (some regulations about some issues like for example smoking in public areas),
common social policy.
6. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO):
1949 – NATO appeared as defensive military organisation,
it was founded as military alliance to counter the potential soviet threat (they were against Russia).
7. Purpose of NATO: to guarantee freedom and security of members through political and military means.
8. The United Kingdom is one of the founding members of NATO.
9. Most British military forces are committed to NATO:
no compulsory military service,
professional armed forces and part-time reserves,
monarch as the commander in chief of the armed forces,
but there are some special forces to deal with some particular cases like for example terrorism in Northern Ireland and they aren’t in NATO.