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Ten little ways leaving the EU could change your life

European officials can't help being interested in members states' affairs, giving them a reputation for meddling.

They have reportedly been itching to ban high-powered appliances such as kettles, toasters, hair-dryers, which has been one of the many incidents that prompted Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to admit: "We are interfering in too many domains of their private lives."

Brexit at least means Britain will freed from the clutches of bureaucrats in Brussels, so what would it mean for you?

Leaving the EU may not immediately free you from current regulation, because every bit of red tape will still exist in zombie form as part of Britain's domestic legislation, and would need to be slain separately. But it would mean Britain escapes any EU law coming down the pipeline.

Here are five ways the EU is affecting your life right now, and five things coming up that Britain could still escape by leaving.

1. Your driving licence

You may notice on your driving licence that the "UK" marker doesn't stand alone in the top-left of your card. it is surrounded by the stars from the EU flag. 

You have the European Union to thank for its design, with Directive 2006/126/EEC being the most regulation passed about it.  Their format was agreed in order to standardise and replace the 110 different plastic and paper driving licences of the 300 million drivers in the European Economic Area.

2. Your passport

If you are a British citizen, the first two words on your passport's front cover are "European Union".

Since 1920, Britons used to have a simpler passport with a dark blue cover, but it was replaced by the EU's preferred burgundy coloured format in late 1988.

3. Your phone calls abroad

The European Union has been responsible for how much you can be charged for using a mobile network operator outside of hour home state (as part of a system sometimes called the "Eurotariff")

The burden should be easier from next year, as the EU has agreed to scrap mobile roaming charges outright. 

4. Your fridge

Finished with your fridge? The EU has a say in how you dispose of it through Directive 2012/19/EU. 

Before the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive came in, you could dispose of your fridge in your local landfill to be destroyed by a giant metal crusher.

But now fridges are deemed hazardrous, so have to be disposed of safely  in special closed units ("approved authorised treatment facilities"). This has spawned over the last few years a new industry for disposing of Britain's old fridges.

5. Your light-bulbs

The EU infamously restricted the sale of traditional incandescent light bulbs, which has left homeowners complaining about the shortcomings of their energy-efficient replacements.

6. At least your wonky bananas are safe...

The European Union issued guidelines in 1995 for the growing of bananas and cucumbers that insisted they must be "free of abnormal curvature" and at least 14 cm in length.

The directive was repealed in 2008, so imperfectly-shaped fruit and vegetables can now be back on supermarket shelves. This is an example of EU legislative reform at work.

7. Making your electric car noisier

Electric cars may be better for the environment, but they tend to be much quieter than normal cars. This poses a risk for pedestrians if they are less likely to notice them coming up.

So the EU's Regulation No 540/2014 is coming in from July 1 2016, which will mandate that electric and hybrid cars make noise so they sound similar to those with combustion engines.

Another EU Directive (2014/94/EU) requires member states to make "relevant, consistent and clear information" to the public about electric cars from 18 November 2016. A system of labeling about the fuel they need will "be placed in a clearly visible manner" at relevant recharging points.

8. Telling you how evil plastic bags are

The British Government has brought in a 5p tax on plastic bags, and now will be required to tell citizens that they should try to buy them as rarely as possible.

The EU's directive 2015/720 requires member states from 27 November 2016 to "actively encourage public information and awareness campaigns concerning the adverse environmental impact of the excessive consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags."

9. Reviewing train drivers' qualifications

The EU is currently consulting the public on its existing Directive 2007/59/EC on the certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains.

Recent events like London's tube drivers going on strike may have led you to think Britain was solely responsible for their working conditions, but even they can't escape Brussels.

10. Making you work closer with European colleagues

The European Union is proposing a new regulation (ref: 2014/0002/COD) for a "European network of Emplyoemnt services", which will look at "workers' access to mobility services and the further integration of labour markets".

So expect working life in Europe to get a lot more cosy if Britain stays in the EU.