Common Market Or European Union

[DSJ]

When did the old Common Market come to be called the European Union or EU?

[Sipowicz]

EEC?

[DSJ]

We all called it the Common Market years ago. When did that change?

[Old_Geezer]

When they decided to come clean and clarify what the small print meant rather than let the UK public continue to believe the interpretation campaigners gave during the referendum.

Politicians are not to be trusted.

[Old_Geezer]

Common Market was the commonly used name for what was officially the European Economic Community.

[Old_Geezer]

http://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Community-European-economic-association

2009

[New Judge]

The Treaty of Rome (1958) created the European Economic Community (EEC). This was formed by the six members of the European Coal and Steel Community (which was formed in 1951 and continued as a separate entity until 2002). The Maastricht Treaty (1992) created the European Union.

It was never officially the “Common Market”. That was a term used by politicians when they conned us into believing it was in our interests to join (and, when we were given the option in 1975, to remain). It was sold that way because if it was announced that the UK was going to join a political union where sovereignty would be gradually eroded and ceded to an unelected foreign body, the opposition to us joining in 1972 may have been stronger and the answer to the 1975 referendum may have been a little different.

[DSJ]

Yes, thank you, it was certainly a con. At the referendum in 1975, l well recall that Wedgewood Benn (Tony Benn) campaigned to leave and Kenneth More, the film star, campaigned to stay in.

I voted the wrong way then but l won't make the same mistake this time.