h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Both Iceland and Norway have a huge resource in the sea. I think they feel they would lose this by joining, as it would be given to the vast Spanish fishing fleet.

Switzerland is too heavily reliant on the banking industry. I don't know whether the country is actually supported by Nazi money which would have to be given back under EU law, but that is certainly one rumour.

Given us peace in Western Europe for 60 years? Not bad going...
BCNU - Crescent

Oh, peace!

lol Until later...
BCNU - Crescent

Well, yeah, that was the original purpose of a body where countries would act in the interests of the many, rather than in a "what's in it for me/ my country?" way.

OK. Common Agricultural Policy. Stop laughing! Yeah yeah a child of 5 could point out its flaws and inadequacies. But it has ensured that Europe has been self-sufficient in food for the last 50 years. And farming is such a fragile industry that it couldn't survive without high levels of support.

Deregulation of the airlines = cheap travel.

The euro makes it easier for travellers to compare prices.

Freedom of movement of goods was instrumental in erroding the differences between car prices, for example, from country to country.

Freedom of movement of services makes it easier for you to work in another EU country.

Legislation on the environment, pesticides etc has resulted in cleaner water and air.

Rules on working time to ensure that you are not *forced* to work long hours. Unless you want to.

Let me think of some others...

To be honest Cresent makes a very important point. 60 years of peace between France, Germany and Britain is a tremendous outcome. On average, these countries enjoyed kicking the living daylights out of each other once every 40 years or so. When countries don't co-operate, they compete, and this sometimes ends in war.

The removal of trade barriers and nonsensical controls has meant that British companies can better compete in Europe. Take any of the major British companies, and you will find that they have a European strategy, and interests abroad. They could not do this effectively if there were lots of barriers in place. Correspondingly, a better business climate in other countries helps Britain - a rising tide etc.

UK citizens have full legal employment, travel and social rights when working in another country. From a social point of view in the UK, there are new health and safety initiatives and employment initiatives that help workers in terms of working hours and minimum standards of safety.

Many British people work abroad in other EU countries, and this is due to the fact that their skills are in demand abroad. This again helps to generate wealth for Britain through taxes and income.

Because there is a greater market, there is greater competition, and consequently prices are lower than if everything was British owned and manufactured. This gives people greater disposable income, fuels demand for other goods and services and allows more businesses to be set up in Britain.

It is acknowledged that international crime and terrorism needs a collaborative approach from many different countries if it is to be prevented. The closer the police forces of different countries work together, the more effective they are.

People often tend to focus on farming as the big EU bugbear, and to be honest, it is. However it needs to be seen from the perspective of post-war reconstruction when there was a significant risk of starvation throughout Europe. The powers that be wisely decided that over production was more advantageous than underproduction. These circumstances have now changed, but unsurprisingly the many farmers affected are unimpressed with their income potential being dramatically slashed.

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At the last two employers I have worked for, I have as a matter of course been presented with, and expected to sign, a brief note recognising the EU law and how I in turn recognise that due to work demands I may well have to, upon occassion, work for longer periods than these 'legal' hours allow, therefore I am electing to waive these rights. Everyone in both organisations, from the office cleaners to the directors was given one, and signed them.

Pointless.

Ok, but the rules are there. If you really don't want to sign, you can't be forced to, and you have the law on your side.

This bit about broken rules got me thinking....

1. In the UK there is a speed limit of 70 mph on the motorways.

2. People frequently break this limit. Sometimes to their own detriment, be it an accident or a fine.

3. So should we abandon the idea of speed limits, cos the rule gets broken? Or make some attempt to ensure the continued safety of drivers?

Coincidentally, just came across this:

"In the absence of specific prohibition, employees should be permitted a reasonable amount of private Internet use"

So all you guys reading this on your work computers, lets hear it for the EU's Article 29 Working Group!

To expand on Lucy Star's point.

The UK now has cleaner bathing water, cleaner river water, cleaner drinking water and safer shell fish thanks to Bathing Water Directive, Fresh Water Fish Directives, Drinking Water Direcive and Shellfish Hygiene Directive, to name just 4 areas.

In the UK there would be no way that the Tory Governemtn of the 80s would have made the industries it was privatizing or reliant on for funds clean up their act without the threat of EEC (as it was then) action.

Indeed, even then they tried to minimize the effect. I have seen a Department of Environment letter to the then public water authourites telling them to be very strict when it came to classifying areas under these directives. In case of the Bathing Water Directive this lead to only 27 waters in th UK being classified initially, it was only after EEC court action that all the rest were classified. And in the case of the Fresh Water Fish Directives they were told only to designate those stretches they thought would pass!

But over the years these have been effective in improving our environment no end.

But is it worth it to stay in? I am thinking no now. But that's another story.

CHawke

If you want to see what the EU has done for me, look at pictures of Liverpool 10-15 years ago and look at socio-economic data for the city, employment, health etc and compare them with today.
Much of Liverpool's regeneration has been funded with EU money and has created plenty of new jobs. Having someone else pick up the tab for regeneration has allowed the local authorities to plough more money into health and youth services in the city and its surrounds and for this alone I'm glad this nation is part of the Union

The EU has been instrumental in standardising the quality catagories of fruit and veg - colour, age, shape

This means that a buyer in Liverpool can order a shipment of catagory 1 cucumbers from a supplier in the Netherlands and know what to expect when they arrive.

Sounds simple but bl**dy important!