The UK and an EU State - Essay Example

The UK and an EU The United Kingdom is one of the most controversial members of the European Union today and this controversy has been because there are varying opinions within its political elite and its citizens concerning its future within the Union. This has been mainly as a result of the belief by some that the European Union (EU) has not benefitted the state as it was supposed to have and that it is eroding its sovereignty. Pro-EU individuals and parties who believe that the UK should remain within the EU because the latter is better and more beneficial than going it alone oppose this. Despite the rhetoric, it is essential to note that the UK is an integral part of the EU and its proposed exit would not be as easy as it seems. This country has over the years developed so many ties with the EU that it would be impossible to imagine it existing outside the Union, especially when one considers the influence that it has within it. This paper seeks to show that the UK is as much a member state of the EU as any other and that its ties with the latter are so deep that they cannot be severed. The United Kingdom is one of the founder members of the EU and it is for this reason that this country has invested so much in it. The UK has been a member of this entity since 1973 and as such can be considered to be among the states that form the core of the EU (European Commission, n.d). The result of this membership is that the UK has since 1973 worked towards ensuring that its economy has become integrated with that of other EU member states and this has made it possible for the country to develop at a much faster rate. Following the massive dent that the Second World War had put on the UK’s economy, its joining the EU can be considered to have been a boon because it allowed for the faster development of the economy and this helped towards its recovery. As a founding member, the UK has a voice in the decision making of the EU and this has helped in ensuring that it retains its influence on the European continent; a factor that would not have been possible had it not been a member state. Moreover, the UK has developed strong political ties with other EU member states and this has ensured that negotiations concerning different issues take place easily and makes it possible for better cooperation between them (Schütze, 2012). The UK, like other EU members, has benefitted a lot from being a member because the Union has made it possible for the peaceful settlement of disputes that might have risen as a result of extreme nationalism and would have led to war, as was the case in the two World Wars. Therefore, despite its seeming to be a unique member, the UK is an integral member of the EU, which has the same benefits and burdens as other members. The UK’s membership in the EU is most beneficial for this country because it allows is to be an active participant in the affairs of the entire European continent. Without its membership, the UK would have remained an on the periphery of Europe because as an island nation, it would not have had the influence that other states on the mainland have. Furthermore, it is essential to note that the UK’s influence on the European continent was for centuries based on its naval power, which at the time was the most powerful in the world (Sondhaus, 2004). However, the Second World War ended all this as the United States and the Soviet Union overtook it as the most powerful nations in the world; making the UK a second rate world power. Under such circumstances, it would not have been able to impose its wishes and influence on the rest of Europe, since to do so would have meant getting into conflict with other European states. However, its membership in the EU has redeemed the UK from being an outsider in European affairs and has allowed it to have a voice in deciding the destiny of the continent. The UK has, through its EU membership, become crucial in ensuring that the rule of democracy as well as the observance of human rights and freedoms, ideals which are an important part of its culture, has spread across the European continent (Keating, 1998). As a founding and senior member of the EU, the UK has been able to develop itself into one of the most important members of the union because it has come to have some influence in the shaping of EU policy in furthering its foreign policy goals, and this has been through peaceful means. It should be noted that despite its EU membership, the sovereignty of the UK has been guaranteed and it has in some ways come to be further advanced. Among the most prominent arguments that have been made against the UK’s EU membership has been that it has ceded some of its sovereignty to Brussels and that this loss of sovereignty has been detrimental to the country (Athanassiou, 2009). The argument made concerning the supposed loss of sovereignty does not put into consideration that the UK has gained more through its ceding some of its sovereignty to the EU and this has mainly been through not only ensuring that it has achieved economic stability, but political stability as well. Political stability has been achieved through the UK having to strictly adhere to the EU’s rules concerning the rule of law as well as democracy among all of its members, which has allowed for the UK to become even more democratic to such an extent that it has worked as a check towards authoritarian tendencies (Folsom, 1996). Furthermore, the UK has been required to ensure that it works towards the creation of legislation that adheres to those of the EU and this has made it possible for the expansion of the democratic space at a domestic level (Elliot, 2004). The changing of legislation so that they can adapt to those of the EU is an integral part of the duties of all member states and this allows for the creation of similar institutions and laws which ensure that there is minimal conflict between them and their governmental systems (Di Federico, 2011). Through making sure that its laws are in adherence to regulations made by the EU, the UK has acted like any other member state and while it has lost some sovereignty, it has been able to gain more influence at a supranational level. The UK’s membership in the EU is important because it has allowed its citizens to gain access to the rest of the EU member states and this has ensured that they can go anywhere they would like within the Union without having to gain visas. This freedom of movement is essential because it ensures that citizens of the UK no longer have to undergo the sometimes-lengthy bureaucratic process of attaining travel visas. EU membership allows for the free movement of people from one part of the Union to another and this has helped in its cultural integration (Burgess, 2009). This is a privilege that it given to all member states and it helps a lot in ensuring that the process of European integration becomes a reality. The UK is one of the major beneficiaries of the free movement process because its citizens not only have access to other EU countries, but it has less diplomatic conflict with other states over barring of entrance due to political differences. The UK has also come to be exposed to other cultures within the EU through the movement of people from other EU countries into the UK and this is despite the latter not being a member of the Schengen Area. Through interactions with people from other EU states, the people of the UK have become more exposed to the way of life outside their own country and this has enabled most of them to become more cosmopolitan in nature (Coleman, Compton, and Salt 2002, p.505). Free movement within the EU is an essential part of ensuring further integration while at the same time making it possible for personal and business interests to spread well beyond national borders. As an integral part of the EU, the UK has been able to capitalise on this free movement to ensure that it is able to achieve more economic development. UK businesses have been able to capitalise on its EU membership to spread their reach to the rest of the European continent and this has allowed for their swift growth and expansion. EU membership makes it possible for the free movement of goods and services among its member areas and it has made it possible for businesses in the UK to have access to a much-expanded market (Larres, 2009). Without EU membership, the UK would have had a tough time exporting its goods and services to the rest of Europe as a result of tariff and non-tariff barriers which would have hampered distribution to the market. Members of the EU have the ability to export their goods to other member states without having to worry about any barriers and as a free trade zone, it has become essential in making sure that all members are treated equally in matters concerning trade (Wilkinson, 2007). UK businesses have not only been able to take advantage of the free trade area, but they have also come to face serious competition from businesses in other EU member states. This competition has been healthy for these businesses because it has allowed them to ensure that they produce only the best goods and services in order to survive in the market. Without the EU free trade area, member states would not have encountered the necessary competition, which would have allowed them not only to improve their services and products, but also enabled them to become relevant outside their own countries (Papadopoulos, 2010). In this way, the free trade area that has been enabled by EU membership has been extremely beneficial for UK businesses because it has exposed them to better ways through which they can achieve their objectives while becoming a part of a greater market space. All member states of the EU participate in its governance and the UK is not an exception, having been a participant since its joining in 1973. The UK has held the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU some five times and this has allowed it to take an active role in determining and steering the agenda of the entire organisation. Moreover, apart from holding the presidency, the UK takes an active part in determining the policies of the EU and this is done through it having representatives in all of its major institutions, a privilege that it shares with all other member states (Peterson, 2008). It is essential to note that through its being able to have an influence on EU policy, the UK can be considered to have increased its sovereignty and this in such a manner that it is not only able to influence its own domestic affairs, but also the affairs of other EU member states. The EU can be considered an organisation that allows its members shared sovereignty, which helps in the furtherance of their own national goals while also acting as a check on each other to prevent unilateral actions within the EU area. Shared sovereignty also means shared responsibility and this has been found to be essential in the development of trust and cooperation between member states, a situation which can be considered to be beneficial for the UK as a full member. The UK has also benefited from its being part of the legislative process of the EU through its membership in the EU parliament. The UK has seventy-three seats in the EU parliament and the representatives who seat in it are elected every five years; the same being the case with other member states. The members of the European Parliament (MEPs) tend to represent the national interests of their home countries and are responsible for the passing of legislation relevant to the entire Union (Craig, 2007). It is through the influence of these individuals that it is possible for member states to influence the manner in which laws in the union are made and how they might come to affect their home countries. It is through these representatives that such countries as the UK become active participants in the governance process of the EU and this allows them to have more authority over their own affairs rather than leaving it in the hands of bureaucrats in Brussels. One of the biggest tasks that the UK has in the EU is in being a contributor to its budget and this is done on an annual basis. Contributions to the EU budget normally go according to the size of the members’ economies and since the UK are one of the largest economies, and one of the major contributors. Its contribution to the EU budget ensures that it is able to not only have an influence the EU’s governance process, but it is a sign of the UK’s fulfilling its obligations as a member state. The UK takes its duty of adhering to its treaties with other member states of the EU that ensure that it contributes to the running of its various institutions and it is through this fulfilment of its obligations that the UK can be considered to be an integral member of the union. In conclusion, the discussion above has attempted to show that the UK is as much a member state of the EU as any other and that its ties with the latter are so deep that they cannot be severed. A reason that has been discussed is that the United Kingdom is one of the founder members of the EU and it is for this reason that this country has invested so much in it. In addition, the UK’s membership in the EU is most beneficial for this country because it allows is to be an active participant in the affairs of the entire European continent. Furthermore, it has been noted that despite its EU membership, the sovereignty of the UK has been guaranteed and it has in some ways come to be further advanced. Moreover, this country’s membership in the EU is important because it has allowed its citizens to gain access to the rest of the EU member states, hence helped in integration. It is also important that UK businesses have been able to capitalise on its EU membership to spread their reach to the rest of the European continent and this has allowed for their swift growth and expansion. The discussion has also shown that all member states of the EU participate in its governance and the UK is not an exception, having been a participant since its joining in 1973. Finally, among the biggest tasks, that the UK has in the EU is in being a contributor to its budget and this is done on an annual basis, ensuring that its operations run smoothly. References Athanassiou, P., 2009. Withdrawal and Expulsion from the EU and EMU, Some Reflections. [pdf] Frankfurt, Germany: European Central Bank. Burgess, M. 2009, "Federalism". In Wiener, A. and Diez, T. European Integration Theory. 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