New photo When did Britain join the EU, who were the original members and how do nations join?

LEAVING’S never easy – and that’s certainly the case for Britain trying to extract itself from the EU.

But when did the UK join the megastate in the first place? Here’s what we know about when the volatile affair with Europe began.

Britain has been a part of the EU for more than 40 years – but for how much longer?

Alamy

When did Britain join the EU?

Tory PM Edward Heath took the UK into the European Economic Area in January 1973.

The move came after President de Gaulle of France twice blocked UK membership during the 1960s.

De Gaulle had feared British membership would weaken the French voice within Europe, and that the US-UK relationship would strengthen America’s influence.

Britain found a way in after de Gaulle resigned in 1969.

In 1975, a referendum was held on whether the UK should stay in the EEC under different terms of entry.

The public voted ‘Yes’ by 67.2 to 32.8 per cent to stay in Europe.

In those days the entity was primarily an economic union. It wasn’t until 1992 that the European Union was officially formed, with Britain’s membership coming into force in November 1993.

Who were the original members?

Britain joined the EEC in 1973, the same year as Denmark and Ireland.

The original members of what came to be known as the European Communities were the Inner Six: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany.

Over the next four and a half decades membership swelled to 28 member states.

There are now 28 members of the EU, all who have to fulfil strict criteria

Wikipedia

How do nations join?

To become part of the union, a country has to meet the Cophenhagen criteria – defined at the 1993 meeting of the European Council which took place in the Danish capital.

There are three directives they have to prove before the European Council will open negotiations. These are:

• Political: stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;


• Economic: existence of a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union;


• Acceptance of the Community acquis: ability to take on the obligations of membership, including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union.

No member state has yet left the EU, though Greenland (an autonomous province of Denmark) withdrew in 1985.

Following the 2016 Referendum, the UK Parliament triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, a process required for a member to leave the Union.

The UK is now set to leave Europe by March 29, 2019 – if Parliament and the EU are able to agree on a divorce deal.

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News Pictures When did Britain join the EU, who were the original members and how do nations join?

You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!

TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st

To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.

Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”

Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”

kim cattrall

Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb

SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.

Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
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