ABSTRACT
The United Kingdom (UK) joined the European Economic Community later to become the European Union (EU) in 1973. Within the EU the UK has often been considered an awkward partner, wary of deeper political and economic integration. Decision-making in the second and third pillars was conducted by national governments which retained veto rights, with little input from the Commission or European Court of Justice. The EU's institutional architecture is unique as it includes intergovernmental bodies in which national governments meet, and supranational bodies with their own authority. The author presented the Maastricht Treaty as a good deal for Britain: the UK had an EMU opt-out, had not signed up to the Social Agreement and had ensured intergovernmental cooperation on foreign policy and immigration. The sovereignty implications of European integration feature in British debates, but it is contested concept. The European Communities Act 1972 gave future Community law legal force in the UK and denied effectiveness to national legislation which conflicts with it.
