Great Britain and the EU
...uestion of how much autonomy Britain is willing to give up to the EU remains unanswered. The geographic relationship of Britain to continental Europe offers an explanation as to why, throughout history, it has been highly independent. Traditionally, the British have refrained from involvement with the continent. They have remained independent, something they were able to do because their power allowed them to be self-sufficient. In fact, the United Kingdom did not join the common market (the precursor to the European union) for the first fifteen years it was in existence. In 1973 the United Kingdom officially became a member of this regional body. Currently, Britain regards its membership in the EU with caution. The British government views economic aspects of the Union as beneficial, but remains wary of surrendering any sovereignty to a federal Europe. Like other nations in the EU, Br...