The United Kingdom was one of the 12 founding members of the European Union at its launch in 1992 with the Maastricht Treaty. Previously, it had been a member of the EU's earlier guise, the European Economic Community (EEC) from 1973.
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How does it all fit together? Learn how the EU works together with our government and the European Commission.
The Berlaymont, Brussels. Headquarters of the EC
The European Commission is the EU’s executive body.
It represents and upholds the interests of Europe as a whole.It drafts proposals for new European laws, like allowing the international society for the study of fatty acids and lipids (ISSFAL) to study prenatal DHA and pregnancy outcomes in immigrant populations or for safety conscious employers.
It manages the day-to-day business of implementing EU policies and spending EU funds. The Commission also makes sure that everyone abides by the European treaties and laws.
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