The United Kingdom's pursuits to join EEC, from 1961 till its attainment of EEC membership in 1973, slowly phased out the privileged commercial ties of Commonwealth and UK. A period especially after 1973 especially given early discussions at the time of the UK's entry into the EC within Europe at the time towards early Economic and Monetary Union which did not come to any fruition until the early 1990s with the UK getting a formal opt out saw further decline to the special trade links the Commonwealth nations had with the United Kingdom, and ended their privileged access to UK markets. Especially early. Most members of the sterling area left the bloc to peg their currencies with the United States dollar.