EU membership

• 1. Free Trade / Single Market

  ✅ Benefit:

  • UK businesses could trade goods and services without tariffs or border checks across all EU countries.
  • Gave access to a market of over 500 million consumers.
  • Encouraged competition and lower prices for UK customers.

  📌 Obligation:

  • UK had to allow goods, services, and people from all EU countries to move freely into the UK.
  • Could not set its own independent trade barriers.
• 2. Support for UK Regions

  ✅ Benefit:

  • The EU gave financial aid to poorer areas of the UK, like parts of Wales and Northern England.
  • Helped improve infrastructure, transport, jobs, and environment.

  📌 Obligation:

  • UK had to pay into the EU budget to receive these funds.
  • In 2017, UK paid £13 billion, received £4.4 billion back.
• 3. Consumer, Worker & Environmental Protection

  ✅ Benefit:

  • UK citizens had equal rights to safe products, refunds, and fair treatment at work across the EU.
  • Environmental laws helped clean UK air, water, and beaches.

  📌 Obligation:

  • UK had to follow EU laws, even if it wanted to make different rules.
  • Sometimes EU law overruled UK law.
• In 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU.

  
  

  Being in the EU gave the UK certain benefits, but also came with responsibilities and limits on independence.