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Constitution and governance

UK-EU Relations

This fact was correct when it was updated on 22 Sep 2020

How often was the UK outvoted in Brussels?

The most detailed analysis of the UK’s voting record in the EU Council in the period before the EU referendum revealed that it was outvoted in 12 per cent of votes in 2009-15. In other words, it was on the winning side almost nine times out of ten. That said, the UK was the member state most often outvoted in this period, followed by Germany and Austria (both 5 per cent). This was a big increase on 2004-09, when the UK was outvoted on just 3 per cent of occasions. Most EU legislation is agreed by consensus, with only 20-25 per cent facing some form of opposition from member states.

Find out more – read our facts on whether EU law takes precedence over UK law or explore how the EU makes law.

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