# The UK and the European Union **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538 "2010-02-11T07:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/1 "2010-02-11T07:37:03Z")
Just out of curiosity, how did the UK get out of having to switch to the Euro for its currency? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/2 "2010-02-11T07:41:39Z")
The UK (along with a few other nations in the EU) had an opt-out clause when they signed the Maastricht Treaty, that meant they weren’t obliged to adopt the Euro. [http://europa.eu/legislation\_summaries/economic\_and\_monetary\_affairs/institutional\_and\_economic\_framework/l25060\_en.htm](http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/economic_and_monetary_affairs/institutional_and_economic_framework/l25060_en.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Planet\_of\_the\_Shapes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Planet\_of\_the\_Shapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Planet_of_the_Shapes)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/3 "2010-02-11T07:43:19Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Just out of curiosity, how did the UK get out of having to switch to the Euro for its currency? The UK negotiated an opt out when the Maastricht Treaty negotiations were happening. > **[Opt-outs in the European Union](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opt-outs_in_the_European_Union)** > > In general, the law of the European Union is valid in all of the twenty-seven European Union member states. However, occasionally member states negotiate certain opt-outs from legislation or treaties of the European Union, meaning they do not have to participate in certain policy areas. Currently, three states have such opt-outs: Denmark (two opt-outs), Ireland (two opt-outs) and Poland (one opt-out). The United Kingdom had four opt-outs before leaving the Union. > This is distinct from the enh... ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/4 "2010-02-11T07:44:14Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Just out of curiosity, how did the UK get out of having to switch to the Euro for its currency? [Eurozone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozone): > [@](#): > > Denmark and the United Kingdom obtained special opt-outs in the original Maastricht Treaty of the European Union. Both countries are legally exempt from joining the eurozone unless their governments decide otherwise, either by parliamentary vote or referendum. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/5 "2010-02-11T07:52:57Z")
Those were pretty interesting links. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/6 "2010-02-11T07:56:01Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Those were pretty interesting links. Thanks. Who said that?! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/7 "2010-02-11T16:26:34Z")
Also, when new countries join the European Union, they don’t automatically become part of the Eurozone. For example, Hungary stilll uses the forint. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/8 "2010-02-11T16:51:29Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Who said that?! :eek: No, Who’s on first. Nobody said that. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/9 "2010-02-11T18:06:20Z")
Just as well, really… ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/10 "2010-02-12T02:22:57Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Also, when new countries join the European Union, they don’t automatically become part of the Eurozone. For example, Hungary stilll uses the forint. They have committed themselves to joining the EMU by joining the EU though, even though that might still take several years if not more than a decade, in some cases. That said, Slovakia and Slovenia have already joined the Eurozone. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/11 "2010-02-12T18:20:05Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Also, when new countries join the European Union, they don’t automatically become part of the Eurozone. Which is how the old EU countries want it, too. The Euro makes things easier for those who appreciate it, but there’s no need to force it onto countries who don’t want it. And the Euro comes with strict rules about economy - stricter than the rules for joining the EU itself, so that one corrupt or instable country can’t wreck the whole Eurozone. So when a new country joins the EU - which in the last cases was always an Eastern European, former Communist, and thus run-down, democratically just starting one - it gets several years to get up to shape with regards to the rest of the established countries (often there’s a period of coming closer to the EU to fulfill the regulations, joining and building up further). Then, when the economy and democracy is stable and relativly corruptionfree and the population doesn’t vote against it, they can apply to join the Euro, too. If the local currency fluctuates a lot and the cost of living is lower than the Euro, than despite the hassle of changing, this attracts tourists, e.g. Tschechia and Poland in the first few years were very cheap compared to Western Europe. This isn’t the case for Britain, though the pound has kept dropping all the time. When doing normal trading, a fluctuating currency that has to be changed from the Euro can be a barrier. It also means higher banking costs, since all transfers between accounts and withdrawal from accounts with cards in Euro are free or low-fee, but into other currencies are more expensive. Of course, if there’s a book or DVD on [amazon.co.uk](http://amazon.co.uk) that’s not available elsewhere, people grit their teeth and eat the fee… ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-and-the-european-union/528538/12 "2010-02-12T18:25:42Z")
Also, [countries like Sweden](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlargement_of_the_eurozone) voted against it and are not forced to : > [@](#): > > According to the 1994 accession treaty,[49] approved by referendum (52% in favour of the treaty), Sweden is required to join the euro if, at some point, the convergence criteria are fulfilled. However, on 14 September 2003, 56% of Swedes voted against adopting the euro in a second referendum.[50] The Swedish government has argued that staying outside the euro is legal since one of the requirements for eurozone membership is a prior two-year membership of the ERM II; by simply choosing to stay outside the exchange rate mechanism, the Swedish government is provided a formal loophole avoiding the requirement of adopting the euro. Most of Sweden’s major parties continue to believe that it would be in the national interest to join, but they have all pledged to abide by the result of the referendum for the time being and show no interest in raising the issue.