THIS YEAR MARKS 40 years since Ireland joined the EU.

Today meanwhile marks the 63rd anniversary of the inception of the common market.

It’s got us thinking… apart from referendum after referendum and a different coloured passport, what has the EU ever done for us?

Take that Ryanair

Remember when the Icelandic ash cloud hit and travelers were stranded left right and centre?

Remember when Michael O’Leary had to back down and foot the hotel and grub bills of passengers who couldn’t get home?

Thanks EU regulation 261. You’re a star.

Photocall Ireland

Motorways

Pic: Gemma Sherlock

Let’s face it, some of the roads are still in shite, but some of them are grand, and some of them are really grand.

Thanks for the roads EU.

It gave us perennial table quiz questions

When did Ireland join the EEC?

1973

When did the name change to the EC?

1993

How many member states are there in the European Union?

27

Erasmus

Did you spend a semester in Brussels? A year studying in France? Fall in love over some textbooks in Berlin?

Then you might have the EU student programme Erasmus to thank.

Pic via Flickr/Creative Commons

CAP

The Common Agricultural Policy has been the subject of reform talks of late, but it is one of the measures most associated with Ireland’s membership of the EU.

It’s also usually a guaranteed question on the aul Leaving Cert Geography exam.

Hooray for CAP (via Imgur)

Money

No more trying to get rid of those pesetas when you come back from Lanzarote, no more fretting over francs when you’re heading for Paris, and those €1 and €2 coins are very pleasing.

“le Croque McDo, what’s that muck?” (via subjunctive.net)

The Troika

Hands up who knew what a troika was before the EU came knocking? You might not like the troika, but at least you learned an exotic new word*.

*clutching at straws here

There’s Ajai (Photocall Ireland)

A place to send politicians

Sure wasn’t Charlie McCreevy happy out?

AP Photo/ Thierry Charlier

Blame

Don’t like an inconvenient rule or regulation? Blame the EU. Even if it’s not their fault.

“That’s an EU directive that. The lousers” (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Girl drinks beer through her ear>

Well, this never happened at the Coca-Cola factory!