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Europe on the doorstep
April 8, 2010 1:30 PM
Sarah Ludford MEP wrote the following in 2005. The parts below still seem to be very relevant now in 2010, giving helpful answers to some Euromyths and anti-EU opinions that could be met on the doorstep.
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Statement: "The EU only serves the interests of a European elite hell bent on creating a superstate."
Reply: The EU has two central purposes:
- to entrench human rights and democracy and to ensure that Europe's history of bloodshed is over forever: more than 60 years of success.
- to give small and medium countries power over global problems that affect them.
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Statement: "The sovereignty of the nation state is being increasingly eroded by globalisation, multinational corporations, international capital flows, the internet, the speed of modern transport and communications."
Reply: The EU is a way of regaining the capacity to make choices by exercising sovereignty more effectively together (pooling it) with other states, in areas that national parliaments cannot otherwise influence. Britain's voice in international affairs is much stronger when negotiating as part of an EU team, for example in the field of international trade or climate change.
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Statement: "Britain would be better off outside the EU, just look at Norway or Switzerland."
Reply: Norway and Switzerland are indeed prosperous countries that are outside the EU. But they still have to accept EU regulations without having any influence in the decision-making process. Membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) outside the EU, as advocated by some Eurosceptics adds up to legislation without representation. We should never exchange an illusion of sovereignty for the reality of power.
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Statement: "Britain should join NAFTA and have free trade with the like-minded English-speaking countries of North America."
Reply: NAFTA membership would disregard the facts of geography and trade flows (over 50% of our exports go to elsewhere within the EU). It would provide minimal benefits in duty-free access to North America, and could cost exporters dearly in extra tariffs on goods sold in the EU.
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Statement: "Europe is a bureaucratic and undemocratic dictator and Britain has no say in decisions taken by 'Brussels'.''
Reply: As one of the largest Member States of the European Union, the United Kingdom has considerable influence in the running of Europe and the formation of European policies and legislation. However, successive British governments have failed to make proper use of this potential to shape the EU.
Power is exercised in the two law-making bodies, the Council of Ministers (representing governments) and the European Parliament (directly elected to represent the 450 million citizens). The EU's executive, the European Commission which is sometimes denigrated as the 'Brussels bureaucrats', proposes but does not decide on laws, and implements them once passed.
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Statement: "European law takes away the rights of British people under our own laws. Only Britain applies the EU rules. We should break them like everyone else."
Reply: The legal framework of the European Union serves to protect the rights of British and other European citizens under European law. Britain does not stand out for applying EU law: several countries are more conscientious. We gain from the proper application of EU law, and should not wilfully break undertakings we have entered into.
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Statement: "The Liberal Democrats are just in favour of everything that moves in Brussels."
Reply: The Liberal Democrats want a Europe that is diverse, democratic and decentralised with decisions taken at the most local effective level. We are pro-Europe but clear about the limits of the EU, and firm on its failings.
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