Attempting to determine whether the EuropeanUnion has had on Britain is difficult as there are so many factors to consider.In addition to this, membership of the European Union affects peopledifferently in that some will be more subject to regulations or be required totake specific action. This could be due to their particular profession orbecause they play a part in the political process.
With this being the case, it is possiblethat the answer to whether the European Union has actually improved GreatBritain can be ‘yes’ and ‘no’, depending on who you ask.
Personally, I amunable to point to any specific aspect of my life that has been improvedsignificantly by being part of the European Union.
When I choose to use it, the main benefit Ican point to is in respect of travelling around Europe. There is no need for meto worry about the paperwork that can be required when seeking to travelfurther afield. In addition, in the event that I was seeking to live and workin another of the European member countries, I suspect the process would beeasier to achieve than if I wanted to work in a non-EU member country.
When considering country as a whole, theremay be some improvements that have arisen from being a member of the EuropeanUnion. By itself, Great Britain is fairly small when compared to othercountries.
Despite the old adage that ‘size isn’t everything’, I believe thatthis gives many the impression that Great Britain is insignificant and unableto exert any influence in important matters or negotiations.
One benefit that may have come from being amember of the European Union is that it makes Great Britain part of a largerentity.
While this may seem like a fairly superficial change, it can actuallylead to the country becoming more powerful.
There is a possibility that trade withother member states has been improved by being part of the European Union. Withouthaving any actual involvement, it is difficult to know what positives havearisen in terms or trade. Further, it is arguable as to whether there wouldn’tstill be favourable trade agreements in place even if we were not part of theEuropean Union.