ABSTRACT
It is clear that participation in the process of European integration has had a fundamental influence on economic affairs and on economic policy in the United Kingdom since the country joined the then European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973.1 One way or another, it seems inevitable that this influence will persist and may indeed intensify. Any understanding of Britain’s economic performance, its policy stances and options, and its future economic prospects consequently necessitates some detailed consideration of the nature and implications of the process of European integration under the aegis of the EU, and of Britain’s position vis-à-vis this process. Such an analysis is the principal aim of this chapter.
