EU in or out

Should we be allowed to have a vote on the EU situatio is so what would you vote.;


Stay in the EU

Get out of the EU

Dont give a ****

 

got to get out....all we do is let their no goods in to our country and use our resources.

out out out...............fill the channel tunnel in and build a fence instead..........maybe build the navy back up and anyone within 10 miles of our shores gets sunk....also what about land mines along our beaches too just in case they try to sneak in!!!

Fighter planes patrolloing the skies to just in case we need to make a surgical strike or two!!!

it's fun this forum insn't it!!!!!?

 

Well i've voted for out as i only know about negative issues for being part of the EU. Can anyone tell me some positive reasons if there are any please

 

Given the chance I'd come out tomorrow. My vote is 100% out.

 

Free movement of people. Unless you think that restricting British people outweighs the Europeans coming in presently. It's debatable I suppose.

 

In 2007 the following 7 reasons were given as reasons to stay in the EU.... firtsly its incredible I cant find any update on thes reasons, secondly the reasons listed are not enough for us to stay in ,in my opinion.

EASY TRAVEL


It is much easier now for Europeans to move to neighbouring states
In the old days, travellers in Europe had to put up with different currencies, regular border crossings and customs checks, and even trains of different gauges - you climbed out of a French train, walked across the border, and got into a Spanish train of a slightly different size. Now one currency, the euro, suffices for most European countries and border posts have been abandoned between the 15 countries that have implemented the Schengen accords. Holidaymakers are fully covered for any emergency hospital treatment they may need in another EU country, driving licences issued in one EU country are valid in any other, and any driver insured in one member state has at least third-party cover in the rest. If you are travelling with a tour operator, the company must have systems in place to get you home if it goes bust while you are away.


LIVING ABROAD
Europeans are generally free to go where they want within the EU to live or work, and some 15 million Europeans have moved across borders to exercise this right. For example, more than 300,000 people are drawing UK state pensions in other member states (mostly Spain and Ireland). Older member states have imposed temporary labour restrictions on workers from countries in Eastern Europe which joined in 2004 - but these will gradually be phased out. An EU citizen living in another EU country enjoys equal treatment with nationals of the host country in terms of welfare protection, and can stand for office in local and European Parliament elections.


EQUAL PAY & NON-DISCRIMINATION


The EU has standardised and strengthened workers' rights
The principle of equal pay for men and women was enshrined in the 1957 Treaty of Rome, which first established the European Community. The principle has been turned steadily into reality. A 1975 directive ensured that women paid less than men for the same job got the right of redress through the courts, and protection against dismissal. More recently EU legislation has awarded part-time employees, who are often women, the same rights as people working full-time. Discrimination on the basis of race or sexual orientation is also outlawed. And age discrimination laws which came into force in the UK and other member states in 2006 stemmed directly from legislation passed at EU level.


PAID LEAVE
The EU Working Time Directive ensures that all Europeans get at least four weeks of paid holiday per year. In the US, there is no statutory minimum and many employees get only two weeks of paid annual leave. The same directive guarantees workers 11 hours rest in every 24 hours, one day of rest per week, and a rest break if the working day is longer than six hours. EU legislation also sets minimum standards for paid maternity and paternity leave throughout the EU.



FOREIGN STUDY
Thousands of students take part in foreign exchanges ever year under the EU's Erasmus programme. In the 2003-4 academic year, 7,500 UK students spent between three and 12 months at a university in one of the other member states. The programme helps students learn foreign language, gain experience of another culture, and profit from the host country's expertise in their field of study. People who want to attend a university in another EU country can also apply to do their entire degree course there, without having to pay extra charges imposed on foreign students from outside the EU.


CHEAP FLIGHTS
The EU swept away barriers to free competition in the air transport market in the 1980s and 1990s, paving the way for the emergence of budget airlines. Between 1992 and 2000 prices at the cheaper end of the market fell by 40%. At the same time, consumers benefited from a wider choice of both carriers and destinations, the number of routes linking EU member states increasing by nearly 50%.


CHEAP TELEPHONE CALLS
During the 1990s, the EU broke the monopolies held by public telecoms operators. The result was a doubling of the number of fixed-line operators between 1998 and 2003, rapid introduction of new technology, and lower prices. According to the European Commission, the price of international telephone calls in the EU has fallen by 80% since 1984. The EU has now begun taking action to reduce the cost of roaming on mobile phones.


CONSUMER PROTECTION
Consumers can send back a product bought anywhere in the EU if it breaks down within two years of purchase. People shopping on the internet, by telephone or mail order, can also change their mind within seven days, and cancel the contract without giving a reason. EU law prohibits misleading advertising and requires that all products put on the market are safe. Shoppers who buy goods for their own use in one EU country can take them to another EU country without paying excise duty, as long as they accompany them.


FOOD LABELLING
Under EU law, all ingredients used in food products must be listed. Any GM ingredients must be flagged up, as must colouring, preservatives, sweeteners and other chemical additives. Any ingredients that consumers may be allergic to, such as nuts, must be marked, even if the quantities used are very small. EU laws define the conditions food must meet to be described as organic, and ensure that a name associated with a high-quality product from a particular region, such as Parma ham, cannot be used to describe a product of lower quality, or one from a different region.



CLEAN RIVERS AND CLEAN AIR
The EU is widely credited with forcing the pace on improvements to the quality of air, rivers and beaches. Member states might have done the job independently in their own time, but peer pressure upped the tempo when European ministers got together to pass laws. Measures such as the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive have led to dramatic improvements in the rivers over the last 30 years, making possible, for example, the return of otters to the British countryside. Other legislation has greatly reduced the problem of acid rain; the UK, once the "dirty man of Europe" cut sulphur emissions by 73% between 1990 and 2002. And if 30 years ago most British beaches failed the test of the EU Bathing Water Directive, now 98% of them get the thumbs-up.

 

http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/pdf/webversion.pdf

 

Thanks for those links. I think i definately fall into the OUT category

 

Cameron reckons we had our say 36 years ago.

So if you`re under 53 you didn`t vote thats a big chunk of the electorate to dismiss and then there are those that voted and have died over the last 36 years so how many voted that are still alive. What percentage.

Truly in touch with the people and their needs.

 

Dunno

And it's such an enormous subject that even if I read up on it 12 hours a day for the next month I still wouldn't have scratched the surface.

I'll never acquire enough knowledge on the subject to make an informed decision.

 

Re: Dunno

Very true.

 

the scandinavian countries all seem to be doing well enough

and they aint in it

 

Re: the scandinavian countries all seem to be doing well enough

I think we should get out, and perhaps join the Carribean..

 

All good reasons to be in. Sadly, the EU, along with it's collaboration partners at the IMF undermine the rights of workers a lot of the time despite soem good measures. the free movement of people is fine in pronciple, but all it does it allow bosses to employ cheap labour. Also, the EU is largely reposnsible for successive governemnts refusing to save UK companies and jobs. All in thename of competitin. The same competition that has allowed our Energy market to be dominated by state owned French and German companies.

 

Re: the scandinavian countries all seem to be doing well enough

Those pesky Scandinavians,

Denmark 1973
Sweden 1995
Finland 1995

but Norway aren't in... well the EU took one look at Westie and thought 'not blinkin' likely'

 

Re: the scandinavian countries all seem to be doing well enough

The French bits of the Carribean are in the EU any way

 

Re: the scandinavian countries all seem to be doing well enough

I read on Wiki that Greenland used to be in the EU but they left in the 1980's. Afraid of the Spanish hoovering up all the fish no doubt.

 

since it first formation on 9th MAy 1950

and its various iterations, it has done exaclty what it set out to do. Prevent the third world war in europe


For the reason alone we should stay in

 

to be honest they didn't say we'll have another vote in 30odd years. it was in or out for good obviously it was in, thats democracy.

 

this vote is much closer than I thought it would be...