## Learning Outcomes

- Recall the key stages of the UK’s European integration, from joining the EEC to EU membership
- Identify the main Brexit dates, including the 2016 referendum and the UK’s exit in 2020
- Understand what Article 50 is and why it mattered in the Brexit process
- Distinguish between “leaving the EU” and the “transition period”
- Know the headline practical changes after Brexit, especially around movement and residency

## Life in the UK Test Syllabus

For the Life in the UK Test, you are expected to understand European integration and Brexit in outline, with a focus on the following syllabus points:

- Know that the UK joined the European Economic Community (EEC) on 1 January 1973 (the “Common Market”)
- Know the date of the Brexit referendum (23 June 2016) and which organisation the UK voted to leave (the European Union)
- Know that the UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, after delays from the original target date of 29 March 2019
- Understand that Article 50 is the formal legal process used to begin leaving the EU (triggered by the UK on 29 March 2017)
- Know the transition period dates (from 31 January 2020 to 31 December 2020) and that many rules stayed the same during that time
- Understand, at a high level, that Brexit affected rights to work, live, study, trade and travel between the UK and the EU

## Test Your Knowledge

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. On what date did the UK electorate vote in a referendum to leave the European Union?
2. What was the date the UK formally left the EU?
3. What is Article 50, and when did the UK trigger it?
4. What was the transition period, and when did it end?
5. What is the difference between the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement?

## Introduction

European integration is the story of European countries working together through shared institutions and rules, mainly for trade, cooperation, and peace after the Second World War. The UK took part in this process for many decades, then chose to leave the European Union (EU) after a national referendum.

For the Life in the UK Test, you do not need to be an expert in EU law. You do need the key timeline, the meaning of common terms (like “referendum” and “Brexit”), and a basic sense of what changed after the UK left.

> **Key Term: European Union (EU)**
> A political and economic union of European countries that developed from earlier European communities and created shared rules and institutions in areas such as trade and movement.

### From the EEC to the EU: a short history of European integration

The UK’s relationship with European integration began with trade and economic cooperation. The European Economic Community (EEC) was created by six countries in 1957 (by the Treaty of Rome) to encourage economic growth through a “common market”.

The UK did not join at the start, but later decided to take part.

- **1 January 1973:** the UK joined the **EEC** (often called the “Common Market”), alongside **Ireland** and **Denmark**.
- **5 June 1975:** the UK held a referendum on whether to stay in the EEC. The result was to **remain**.

Over time, European cooperation grew beyond trade into wider political and legal structures. The **Maastricht Treaty** (signed 1992, in force 1993) formally created the **European Union (EU)** and expanded cooperation in new areas. The UK stayed a member but negotiated opt-outs in some fields, most famously not joining the single currency (the **euro**).

> **Key Term: European Economic Community (EEC)**
> The European “Common Market” that the UK joined on 1 January 1973; it later developed into the European Union.
>
> **Test Tip:** Many candidates mix up the dates. Remember: **1973** is joining the **EEC**; **2016** is the referendum to leave the **EU**; **2020** is when the UK actually left.

### Brexit: the referendum and the legal route to leaving

“Brexit” is the common name for the UK leaving the European Union. The key starting point is a nationwide vote.

- **23 June 2016:** the UK held a referendum on EU membership.
  - The UK electorate voted to **leave** the EU.

> **Key Term: Brexit**
> The UK leaving the European Union following the referendum on 23 June 2016.

A referendum is different from a general election. A general election chooses MPs and a government. A referendum asks the public to vote on a specific question.

> **Key Term: Referendum**
> A public vote where the electorate answers a specific question, rather than choosing representatives.

After the referendum, the UK needed a formal legal process to leave under EU treaties. That process is called **Article 50**.

- **29 March 2017:** the UK government triggered **Article 50** (formally notifying the EU of its intention to leave).
- Article 50 starts a negotiation process and sets a default two-year period to reach an agreement, unless extended.

> **Key Term: Article 50**
> The procedure in the EU treaties for a country to formally start the process of leaving the EU; the UK triggered it on 29 March 2017.

The UK did not leave the EU immediately after the 2016 referendum. There were political and parliamentary disputes about the terms of departure, and the leaving date was delayed.

- The original leaving date was expected to be **29 March 2019**, but this did not happen.
- The UK finally left the EU on **31 January 2020**.

> **Test Tip:** If a question asks when Brexit “happened”, give the exit date: **31 January 2020**. If it asks when the public voted for Brexit, give the referendum date: **23 June 2016**.

### Leaving day, the transition period, and the new relationship

The UK’s exit from the EU happened on a fixed date, but many practical arrangements did not change immediately. That is because the UK and EU agreed a transition period.

- **31 January 2020 (11pm UK time):** the UK left the EU as a member state.
- **Transition period:** ran from **31 January 2020** to **31 December 2020 (11pm UK time)**.
- During this period, many EU rules still applied in the UK while the future relationship was negotiated.

> **Key Term: Transition period**
> A temporary period after the UK left the EU (31 January–31 December 2020) when many rules continued while the UK and EU agreed their future arrangements.

Two terms appear often in summaries of Brexit, and it helps to know the difference:

1. **Withdrawal Agreement (WA)**  
   This is the legal agreement setting the terms of the UK’s departure from the EU. It covered issues such as citizens’ rights for people already living across borders, the financial settlement, and arrangements connected to Northern Ireland, as well as the transition period.

2. **Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA)**  
   This is the main agreement that sets much of the UK–EU relationship after the transition period, especially trade and cooperation in areas like security.

> **Key Term: Withdrawal Agreement**
> The treaty between the UK and EU setting the terms of the UK’s exit, including the transition period and protections for some existing rights.
>
> **Key Term: Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA)**
> The main UK–EU agreement governing the relationship after the transition period, especially trade and cooperation.

The key practical date for “new rules” in daily life is usually:

- **1 January 2021:** new UK–EU arrangements applied, because the transition period had ended.

### What changed after Brexit: the high-level facts you should know

For the Life in the UK Test, questions are most likely to focus on the timeline and on broad effects rather than detailed policy. You should understand the headline areas affected:

#### Movement, work, and residency

While the UK was an EU member, EU free movement rules allowed EU citizens to live and work in other member states with fewer restrictions. After Brexit:

- **Free movement ended** for new arrivals when the transition period ended (from **1 January 2021**).
- People from EU countries who move to the UK now generally need permission under the UK’s immigration rules (often described as a points-based approach), unless they have another route or status.

For EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens already living in the UK by the end of the transition period, the UK created a scheme to protect ongoing rights.

> **Key Term: EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)**
> The UK scheme for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens (and eligible family members) resident in the UK by the end of the transition period to continue living and working in the UK.

EUSS has two main types of status:

> **Key Term: Settled status**
> A form of permission under the EU Settlement Scheme, usually for those with 5 years’ continuous residence, allowing them to stay in the UK long-term.
>
> **Key Term: Pre-settled status**
> A form of permission under the EU Settlement Scheme for those with less than 5 years’ continuous residence, with the possibility to qualify later for settled status.

You are not expected to memorise every EUSS rule for the test, but you should understand why it existed: to deal with residency rights after Brexit.

#### Travel and study

Brexit affected how easily British citizens can live, work, and study in EU countries. The exact position depends on the rules of each country and the UK–EU arrangements after Brexit, but the broad point is:

- UK citizens’ ability to work, study, and live in EU member states is generally more restricted than when the UK was an EU member.

#### Trade and everyday goods

Leaving the EU Single Market and Customs Union meant changes to how goods move between the UK and EU:

- Businesses exporting or importing may face new paperwork and checks compared with EU membership.
- The UK and EU agreed trade terms in the TCA, but this does not recreate the same arrangements as full EU membership.

#### Northern Ireland (very high-level)

Brexit raised a special issue: the border between **Northern Ireland** (part of the UK) and the **Republic of Ireland** (an independent country and an EU member). Both the UK and EU aimed to avoid a “hard border” (with heavy physical checks) on the island of Ireland.

The Withdrawal Agreement included specific arrangements for Northern Ireland to manage this issue.

> **Key Term: Northern Ireland Protocol**
> Part of the Withdrawal Agreement designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland aligned with certain EU rules for goods.

For test purposes, keep this simple: the Northern Ireland arrangements exist because of the need to manage trade and movement without creating a hard border on the island of Ireland.

### Brexit and the Life in the UK Test: what candidates should expect

Brexit has been politically important and has affected laws and administration. However, the test mainly examines stable facts about the UK’s history, institutions, and civic life. You should treat Brexit as a “key dates and definitions” topic.

What to prioritise for exam marks:

- The referendum date and what it was about
- The difference between the referendum (2016) and leaving day (2020)
- The idea of a transition period and the end date (2020)
- The meaning of Article 50
- Basic effects on rights to work, study, trade, and travel

Avoid overcomplicating it. If you see a multiple-choice question, it will usually be testing one clean fact (a date, a definition, or a straightforward distinction).

> **Test Tip:** If two answers look similar, choose the one that matches the official timeline exactly: **23 June 2016** (vote), **31 January 2020** (left), **31 December 2020** (transition ends), **1 January 2021** (new arrangements begin).

## Key Point Checklist

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of European countries
- The UK joined the European Economic Community (EEC) on 1 January 1973
- The UK held a referendum on 23 June 2016 and voted to leave the EU
- The UK triggered Article 50 on 29 March 2017 to begin the formal process of leaving
- The original planned leaving date of 29 March 2019 was delayed
- The UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020
- A transition period ran from 31 January 2020 to 31 December 2020
- New UK–EU arrangements applied from 1 January 2021 after the transition ended
- The Withdrawal Agreement set the terms of exit; the Trade and Cooperation Agreement shapes much of the post-transition relationship
- Brexit affected rights and practicalities around work, study, travel, and trade between the UK and EU
- The EU Settlement Scheme was created to protect residency rights of eligible EU/EEA/Swiss citizens already living in the UK
- Northern Ireland arrangements were included to help avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland

## Key Terms and Concepts

- European Union (EU)
- European Economic Community (EEC)
- Brexit
- Referendum
- Article 50
- Transition period
- Withdrawal Agreement
- Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA)
- EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Settled status
- Pre-settled status
- Northern Ireland Protocol


Contemporary UK - European integration and Brexit (overview)