Europe - Good or Bad?

[VxDuncan]

Okay, I guess I didn't take much interest when we covered the European Union at school (despite going to Maasctrict on a school trip!). Clearly there positive things about being in the EU, but significant negatives as well. So, ahead of the elections later this week, can we make a list of good things and bad things about being in the EU? Apologies if this has been done before. I'll start:

Positives:
- Easy travel between other EU countries
- Easier trade between EU nations
- Significant research grants

Negatives:
- Quotas on fishing and farming strangling UK production
- Less control on immigration
- Cost of membership
- Less control on local issues

[Puggit]

Biggest negative - unelected commission, where the power really sits.

Accounts never signed off due to irregularities.

Laws which are passed down to our government and rubber stamped (the negative here is just as much pointed to our politicians)

[Jasandjules]

What good things?

Bad things?

We have laws we don't want. We have them made by unelected scum, who steal money hand over fist and make our MP's expense claims look like honest and reasonable claims.

[odyssey2200]

Jasandjules said:

What good things?

Bad things?

We have laws we don't want. We have them made by unelected scum, who steal money hand over fist and make our MP's expense claims look like honest and reasonable claims.

[LoveMachine]

Totalitarian coercive left wing superstates are a bad thing, whether they are New Labour UK or Europe.

A libertarian federation working in agreed trade and mutual help is a good idea, whether it is the counties of the UK or European countries.

It could be great or bad. Their particular approach is the worst.

I'm not anti Europe, I'm anti-totalitarian supernanny.

[JMGS4]

As one of the few on here who lives the EU daily, there are some distinct advantages, but these are limited to the old EEC.
IMHO the EEC was excellent, getting rid of idiotic customs paperwork etc.. allowing europeans to live and work in other European countries.. but a federal EU as these (mainly socialist) Brusselers want NO NO NO
Why should ANY citizen of the EU pay for a bunch of expense cheaters (that's been running on for 10 YEARS now! with no solution) and paperwork manufacturers who do NOTHING except hinder business, and produce PC and socialist mantras daily??? Certainly the majority of the (unasked) european population do NOT want it!!!
Recently saw an ITV interview of the labour ministeress whose total input was spouting all the IPCC lies about global warming st, and helping to continue the fallacy!!!! Should ALL be fired, terminally!

[V8mate]

Jasandjules said:

What good things?

Bad things?

We have laws we don't want. We have them made by unelected scum, who steal money hand over fist and make our MP's expense claims look like honest and reasonable claims.

Yep.

Our MP's expenses trough is nothing compared to what will be discovered in the House of Lords.
And that too will be dwarfed by the fraud and corruption within the MEPs and civil servants in Brussels.

[Crusoe]

we could still enjoy most of the positives if we weren't in the EU, the main point for most people is that the uk is a net contributor to the EU, putting a lot more in than we get out. E.g. Go to rural Spain and enjoy the nice newly surfaced euro funded roads - we could do with some of that money spent over here.

Telegraph said:

Annually the total cost of British membership of the 27-member club is £118 billion

Some things we would have to pay for out of that if we were not in the EU but sure we could save several billion a year not being in the EU. It will only get more expensive for the wealthier members if they subsidise other eastern countries that want to join.

Edited by Crusoe on Monday 1st June 10:36

[chippy17]

bad bad bad all the way, there is nothing good about it, make sure you vote on Thursday

[Goochie]

I dont think you can say fishing quotas are a bad thing. If we caught all the fish in our seas they would pretty much become extinct in a couple of years.

The fishermen would have a bumper year or two but they'd then be out of business.

[angryS3owner]

I think we need to do one of two things, 1.accept the idea of a federal Europe and jump in with both feet and try and lead / prevent the silly st or 2.go back to the free trade ideas around how it all started and stop spunking millions or billions every year on yet another layer of bureaucracy.

I've seen how being in the Euro would have helped british businesses however I think on balance we'd be better off totally out other than free trade.

[V8mate]

Goochie said:

I dont think you can say fishing quotas are a bad thing. If we caught all the fish in our seas they would pretty much become extinct in a couple of years.

The fishermen would have a bumper year or two but they'd then be out of business.

I daresay the OP was alluding to the fact that our own fishing waters are shared with other EU countires at the expense of our own fishing fleet.

[s2art]

Goochie said:

I dont think you can say fishing quotas are a bad thing. If we caught all the fish in our seas they would pretty much become extinct in a couple of years.

The fishermen would have a bumper year or two but they'd then be out of business.

Intelligent quotas might work, but the EU approach is little short of a disaster.

[BiggusLaddus]

Goochie said:

I dont think you can say fishing quotas are a bad thing. If we caught all the fish in our seas they would pretty much become extinct in a couple of years.

The fishermen would have a bumper year or two but they'd then be out of business.

You jest? As things stand now, millions of dead fish are thrown over the side as they are not allowed to be taken in if the quotas are full. The boats need to keep going out to catch the fish that they are allowed to keep and so need to keep throwing back dead fish from species that they are not.

[bobbylondonuk]

V8mate said:

Goochie said:

I dont think you can say fishing quotas are a bad thing. If we caught all the fish in our seas they would pretty much become extinct in a couple of years.

The fishermen would have a bumper year or two but they'd then be out of business.

I daresay the OP was alluding to the fact that our own fishing waters are shared with other EU countires at the expense of our own fishing fleet.

Are we allowed to fish in spanish waters?

[V8mate]

bobbylondonuk said:

V8mate said:

Goochie said:

I dont think you can say fishing quotas are a bad thing. If we caught all the fish in our seas they would pretty much become extinct in a couple of years.

The fishermen would have a bumper year or two but they'd then be out of business.

I daresay the OP was alluding to the fact that our own fishing waters are shared with other EU countires at the expense of our own fishing fleet.

Are we allowed to fish in spanish waters?

They don't really have much to offer. The stretch across northern Spain is about the same length as our South Coast. Portugal then takes a huge chunk and the rest is in the Med.

So in the spirit of EU 'fairness', we have enough to 'share'. Apparently.

[herewego]

I'm not sure that we have quotas on farming activities, but we do have EU subsidies which allow UK farmers to compete with other countries.
I don't think quotas is the right way to control fishing but controls we certainly need. I'm hoping the EU will enforce the alternative system of complete bans on fishing large areas of our seas.

[cs02rm0]

Nice idea.

Bad though, at least in the current implementation.

[Mclovin]

what i dont understand is they allow piss poor countries with no crim justice to join resulting in us getting deadly criminals here....

[herewego]

Mclovin said:

what i dont understand is they allow piss poor countries with no crim justice to join resulting in us getting deadly criminals here....

Ours are mostly in Spain I believe.