The UK is part of the EP, the Coulcil, the Commission, and several regulating or planning bodies, it integrated laws, has Strasbourg as higher instance for trials, integrated some standards, had others taken over by the rest of the EU (for example 230 V as standard voltage), has visa-free travel for citizens, tariff-free travel for goods, pays in money and receives some back for specific purposes (though the main benefits beyond CAP money focus outside England: the local language programs, and the structural funds).
Some corrections: the UK is part of several TENs, check maps just in transport. It is on main axes 02, 13, 14 (all in Britain), 15 (well, not a true axis: Galileo), 21, 26. The problem with freight across Eurotunnel wasn't that France didn't built a freight rail access line -- it did, cross-Chunnel freight transports are ongoing --, but that Eurotunnel was denied the opportunity to operate on SNCF's tracks as a private railfreight company (here we see an unkind side of etatism, but probably it could have been under control if Eurotunnel would have been a joint state company). *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
As for the TENs, my impression is that Britain isn't actually doing any work to make them a reality. With the CTRL being the sole exception. What Jerome is saying about gas isn't pretty. And the continued hatred of railroads by the Brits is well-known. I guess they stink too much of service publique.
I doubt voltage meant anything since the difference was small to begin with. Visa-less travel certainly doesn't mean anything because it's a bygone conclusion between rich white countries. The USA doesn't have it because it's devolving into savagery. Which leaves the open market and the european budget, both of which work in Britain's favour because it's a sell-out. The same with taking part in European politics which again it does only for its own benefit and in order to sabotage Europe.
So really, the only way that Britain participates in the EU that is non-trivial, willingly, and not completely selfish, is juridically. And even there, Britain does everything it can to avoid being dragged into civilization. Did you know that Britain did everything to minimize a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights to stop the beating of children?
Much like the USA, I haven't heard of a single unalloyed good thing about Britain. Not in my entire life. And you know what? I can cite good things even about Canada and Australia, both of which are anglo and therefore evil.
Countries ranked by my familiarity with them:
Canada USA France Great Britain Australia Sweden Japan ..
Countries ranked by my hatred of them:
USA Great Britain all of Africa most of central Asia .. nearly all of latin America .. Canada .. Australia .. France Sweden
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So what do you know, familiarity doesn't breed contempt. It's just a coincidence that the USA and Great Britain both top the list.
It may be that a technical term made you confused. 'Path' in English, 'Trasse' in German, and 'sillon' in French denote a slot on a railway line, e.g. leaving room for a train in the timetable. The problem for Eurotunnel has long been just getting a permit to operate on SNCF tracks on its own. Before the last financial crisis, they finally got close to getting it, but then the crisis managers decided to shelve the issue.
Regarding the TENs, there is the giant work of the WCML upgrade. Both in the price tag and in terms of connections with the rest of Europe, the CTRL is so key that 'sole exception' is underplaying it. It indeed came a decade late, thanks Maggie Thatcher. I'm less familiar with roads and ports. I don't know about "continued hatred of railroads by the Brits", but about continued complaints from (growing in numbers) passengers in the silly chaotic privatised 'system'. I guess there are train haters, but unfortunately there are train-hating car-lovers all over Europe. (Comparing the UK with France, the UK actually has 10% more passenger-journeys even without the Tube, though much less passenger-kilometres, a joint effect of a smaller country and lack of high-speed lines.)
Voltage meant much for power system managers (BTW in some places, it was just 220 to 230 V, in others 110 to 230), and involved standardisation in connections if I am not mistaken. No, visaless travel is not a bygone conclusion, you can grow poor or politics can change. You then go on accusing Britain of thinks all EU members do.
Much like the USA, I haven't heard of a single unalloyed good thing about Britain.
Well, name an unalloyed good think about any other country, and I see if I agree it's unalloyed.
Really, this 100 Years War Re-Match some of you in this thread do in place of EU politics is getting weary with an outside view. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
I misspoke when I said British. I meant Britain by which I mean the British elites. Since Blair's policies are a continuation of Thatcher's ....
In my other diary, I list a number of unalloyed good things http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2007/1/21/4445/15448
a couple of commentators have listed some unalloyed good things which the UK has done. Unfortunately, they were centuries ago.
