Opponents of these changes argued that the real reason for them was Britain's impending entry to the EEC, and that France was concerned about Britain's close economic ties with the Commonwealth and the sterling area, even though France continued to have special economic relations with its less successful former colonies in the CFA and CFP franc zones. The attempts by the United Kingdom to join EEC in 1961 and 1967, were blocked by the French, but eventually, on 1 January 1973, the United Kingdom became a EC member state after France formally lifted its veto on UK membership.