1. First of all, they're not voted on by "member countries," but by representatives, who's only of secondary importance to peoples who already have to vote in local and government representatives in their respective countries. Second the EU processes are opaque to most EU citizens, and as such decisions made in the commission (where representatives aren't elected but hand picked, btw) and parliament are usually done under their nose, without their knowledge or input. That isn't democratic. That's bureaucratic, and many will agree it's even bad. The veto power complicates things further, only leading to more bureaucratic stand-still and indecision. The same goes for the so-called laws and regulations the EU passes, which are often so monolithic that they are more confusing than helpful. A great example is how trade in many instances simply broke down in Europe during the Corona crisis, due to different interpretations on common laws agreed upon in the EU parliament.
2. They are still relevant in countries who predominantly have older wooden buildings, just as one example.
No it doesn't, any examples? EU laws are voted on by the member countries and some even have veto power.
> and what kind of electrical plug to use (I've noticed that the British one could seem a little safer).
They're not, they're more expensive and designed in a time when those safety features were still relevant.