Britain and Europe

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Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?

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THIS TOPIC IS BEING REVISED. THE NEW VERSION WILL BE AVAILABLE BY THE END OF APRIL 2016.

The UK will have a referendum on whether to remain in the European Union (EU) or to leave the EU by the end of 2017. It is most likely that the referendum will take place in 2016.

Europe has changed since the British public was last consulted on membership, in 1975: - The authority of European institutions has been extended to include important policy areas such as environmental protection, regional development, social policy, and industrial policy. - The law-making process uses unanimous voting less than it used to, making it easier to override the wishes of individual states in a minority. - EU law now has primacy over law passed at Westminster. - The EU has grown, from 9 member states when Britain joined in 1973 to 28 in 2015. - A single currency (the Euro) has been introduced, with 19 of the member states joining it. - The Eurozone economic crisis has created calls for integration of fiscal (tax and spend) policy among members of the single currency.

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Original author: Toby Thomas; revision and shortening: Paul Eustice; reviewer: Perry Walker

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Background

  • Europe has changed since the British public was last consulted on membership, in 1975:
  • The authority of European institutions has been extended to include important policy areas such as environmental protection, regional development, social policy, and industrial policy.
  • The law-making process uses unanimous voting less than it used to, making it easier to override the wishes of individual states in a minority.
  • EU law now has primacy over law passed at Westminster.
  • The EU has grown, from 9 member states when Britain joined in 1973 to 28 in 2015.
  • A single currency (the Euro) has been introduced, with 19 of the member states joining it.
  • The Eurozone economic crisis has created calls for integration of fiscal (tax and spend) policy among members of the single currency.

There are several options for Britain if it chooses to leave the EU. These differ according to the degree of participation in the Single Market free trade area. The main alternatives are outlined in the table below:

Our present position: Our net budget contribution was £6.9bn in 2012. We are in the single market and apply EU regulations, including the common fisheries policy (CFP) and common agricultural policy (CAP).

The Norwegian option: Figures are disputed, but some claim that Norway contributes slightly more than Britain per citizen. They are still in the single market through European Economic Area and have adopted 75% of the EU’s regulations, without having any influence on them. Not in CFP or CAP.

The Swiss pay less than Norway and formally adopted fewer of the regulations, but still have to comply with many of them anyway to work with other countries. Their goods are in the single market but not financial services. Not in CFP or CAP.

The Turkey Plus option. Turkey makes a minimal contribution with access to a single market in goods via the Customs Union. They would need a separate deal for services. They adopted very few EU regulations and are not in the CFP or CAP.

Clean Break option: Make no contribution and adopt no regulations, leaving the CFP and CAP. We would still benefit from the fact that global trade barriers are lowered by the World Trade Organisation but might have to comply with some EU regulation to trade with EU countries.

Human rights

If Britain left the EU it would still have to deal with the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg, established by the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR is signed by the 47 countries that comprise the Council of Europe, an entirely separate organisation from the EU.










































Sources

1 - House of Commons Library Research Paper 10/62 “How much legislation comes from Europe?” 13 Oct 2010, p. 1.

2 - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-06/germany-s-future-rising-in-east-as-exports-to-china-eclipse-u-s-.html

House of Commons Library: “In brief: UK-EU economic relations – key statistics” by Grahame Allen, Gavin Thompson and Aliyah Dar 13 February 2013

3 - http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2013/jan/08/uk-benefit-welfare-spendingFrom Table 3 in House of Commons Library: “EU annual budgets 2007-2013” Standard Note, p. 10.

4 - Geoffrey Howe “This is a new, farcical low and David Cameron is losing control”http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/18/david-cameron-control-geoffrey-howe

5 - ONS statistical bulletin: UK Trade, December 2012 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/uktrade/uk-trade/december-2012/stb-uk-trade--december-2012.html#tab-Summary

6- http://www.efta.int/about-efta/the-efta-states

7 - http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/eu-harper/article14924915/

8 - http://rt.com/business/eu-us-trade-brussels-528/

Further background

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2013/jan/08/uk-benefit-welfare-spendingFrom Table 3 in House of Commons Library: “EU annual budgets 2007-2013” Standard Note, p. 10

Ian Loveland “Britain and Europe” in Vernon Bogdanor ed., The British Constitution in the Twentieth Century (OUP: Oxford, 2003)

Stephen Booth and Christopher Howarth, “Trading Places: Is EU membership still the best option for UK trade” Open Europe June 2012, p3http://www.europarl.org.uk/ressource/static/files/2012eutrade.pdf(Background/Options for the UK if it leaves the EU)

Adam Wagner, “No, The Sun, the Human Rights Act is not the EU”, UK Human Rights Blog, February 10 2013 http://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2013/02/10/no-the-sun-the-human-rights-act-is-not-the-eu/ (Background/Human rights)

The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford

The Economist “Making the break: How Britain could fall out of the European Union, and what it would mean” Dec 8th 2012 http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21567914-how-britain-could-fall-out-european-union-and-what-it-would-mean-making-break

House of Commons Library: “EU annual budgets 2007-2013” Standard Note, p. 11. (Background/Status quo/Net budget contribution)

House of Commons Library Standard Note 6522: “Norway’s relationship with the EU”, p. 1. (Background/Norwegian option/EU Regulations)

House of Commons Library: “In brief: UK-EU economic relations – key statistics” by Grahame Allen, Gavin Thompson and Aliyah Dar 13 February 2013

House of Commons Library: “The EU Budget 2007-2013” Standard Note by Grahame Allen. http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN06463

House of Commons Library Research Paper 10/62 “How much legislation comes from Europe?” 13 Oct 2010, p. 1.

David Charter, “Would pulling out be worth it? There’s only one way to find out”, The Times 8 May (David Charter is the author of “Au Revoir Europe: What if Britain left the EU?”

Hugo van Randwyck “EFTA or the EU” 21st March 2011, Bruges Group http://www.brugesgroup.com/eu/efta-or-the-eu.htm?xp=paper

Christian Dustmann, TommasoFrattini and Caroline Halls, “Assessing the Fiscal Costs and Benefits of A8 Migration to the UK” Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration http://www.cream-migration.org/publ_uploads/CDP_18_09.pdf

Nigel Lawson, “I’ll be voting to quit the EU” The Times May 7th 2013.

Geoffrey Howe “This is a new, farcical low and David Cameron is losing control” http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/18/david-cameron-control-geoffrey-howe

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=WQ&reference=E-2012-011510&language=EN (Background/The Norwegian Option/Net budget contribution)

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