Kōrero: Britain, Europe and New Zealand

Joining the European Union

The European Economic Community or EEC (later the European Union) was set up in 1957 to encourage economic and political cooperation between member countries, particularly France and Germany, which had been repeatedly at war with one another. At first the focus was trade: by 1968 each member country allowed goods from others to be sold with no customs duties or taxes charged, and all charged the same tariffs on goods from non-member countries. Over time the focus of the EEC expanded to include broader economic and political union. In the 2000s people, services and goods travelled freely within the European Union (EU) and, although not all member countries had adopted it, there was a common currency, the euro. The EU's success inspired interest in joining among surrounding countries. This map shows when nations became members. The UK’s departure from the EU in 2020 was the most dramatic result of a widespread decline in enthusiasm for the ‘European project’ during the 2010s. 

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand


Source: European Union

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Martin Holland and Serena Kelly, 'Britain, Europe and New Zealand - Relations with Britain and Europe in the 2000s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/interactive/36824/joining-the-european-union (accessed 20 June 2021)

He kōrero nā Martin Holland and Serena Kelly, i tāngia i te 20 Jun 2012