The European Union is not a country. It is an organisation. It is there by means of it being a large trading bloc in the world. The United Kingdom is not the only member that is also listed separately. Germany, France and Italy are also members of the European Union that are members of the G20 in their own right. The European Central Bank, and the European Commission, which is made up of one politician from each of the different European Union countries, represent the European Union at the G20.
All of the UK is a member of the EU
The UK was a founding member of the EU.
The UK is an EU Member State. The EU Law is therefore binding.
The US is a member of the UN. It is not a member of the EU
Border controls & finance were the biggest issues ! The power of the EU stripped the UK of our border controls - and we had to pay £BILLIONS - just to be a member !
As a member of the EU, the UK is expected to issue health and safety regulations that implement EU health and safety Directives. Every member of the EU is expected to do that. No two members does it in precisely the same way. So the EU health and safety regulations are harmonized with EU directives, but may differ in subtle ways for the health and safety regulations of other EU members.
Effectively much legislation now comes via the EU - as EU laws should apply to all member states. The UK has some exemptions. Our passport system is not the same as all of the EU and we have not yet adopted the Euro as a currency. EU legislation allows all EU citizens free travel throughout the EU. On a side note many in the UK want to leave the EU and consider it a pain in the neck!
The United Kingdom was a founder member of the EU when it was created in 1992/3. The UK joined the EU's predecessor organisation, the European Common Market in 1973.
Notice that there are no borders between Shengen-member countries (most of EU), so there is no limit, with exception of UK which is not a member of Shengen group you can pass cigarettes freely!
Technically Yes. However, its membership is because the UK Government signed up to join EU and therefore be default Wales is a member but under the unbrella of the UK.
Bulgaria surrenders fugitive offenders to all EU Member States (including the UK) on the basis of the European Arrest Warrant.
The UK applied for membership to the European Union on August 10, 1961, but later cancelled. They applied a second time on May 10, 1967 and was granted admission on January 1, 1973. The UK was asked to be a founding member of the EU, but refused.