To not understand the importance of being in the EU.

[bellarations]

It's slightly embarrassing actually.
Please can you explain in simple terms (formy benefit) the benefits to every day citizens in the UK.

We can travel and live across Europe. If you have an European health card you can benefit from emergency treatment across Europe.
Our businesses benefit from subsidies and arguably our economy benefits from being part of an Eurozone which has helped to create some stability through the more economically turbulent years.
Our farmers in particular benefit from subsidies and shared policies (the common agricultural policy). I guess for everyday citizens this translates into the stability of our farming market and prices of farm goods, as well as offering some kind of consistency of employment in those areas.

It's pretty irrelevant today but initially was a good idea for the common trading, travel and currency. Like many other good ideas, Power and greed have destroyed it.

Imho of course!

I should point out that's a pretty simple summary of the benefits to citizens but I'm sure someone else will come along with much more information. (Obviously we can also work in Europe too).

It has contributed to the longest period of peace in Europe ever. As I understand it we're the first generation to not have experienced war.

Pleased.
That never occured to me, very reassuring to learn that.
Thanks for your replies, I'm keen to educate myself about this, I'm fed up with hearing certain people moan about the cost of being in the EU.

Free trade (and everything that comes with such agreements). We are a great target for investment because we have excellent access to the largest common market on the planet. Companies base here because they want to sell sell sell, not just to Brits (probably not even mainly to Brits). As a unit, the EU is able to compete globally, it has power, something that Britain alone just simply wouldn't achieve (except in the misty eyes of the Nationalists). This will become even more obvious if the US makes a free trade agreement with the EU - a special friendship can only go so far and I can see no convincing reason why the US would continue to trade with a non-EU Britain when it may do so more efficiently with the EU.

If Britain could negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU, exit would be less worrying for me (from an economic standpoint). However, I can't see why on earth the remaining members of the EU would feel inclined to make it so easy for us.

There is a cost to being in the EU, and it's an easy one to put a figure on. People can see how much "taxpayer's money" is being contributed. They can also work out how much each country gets back, and the UK is in deficit (we give more than we receive). However, what isn't so tangible to the "man on the street" is the more general economic benefit of being in the EU, because the UK is richer because of it. The value of our exports to the EU far outweighs the imbalance in what we give .v. what we receive. If people want out, they will (as will the rest of the country) be poorer because of it (IMO).

No one has mentioned the thing that really worries me - the EU is the biggest trade area in the world. That means everyone wants to trade with the EU. As Britain is part of the EU, a lot of companies have located here as: we are part of the EU, give them tax breaks and are English speaking. Without being part of the EU, I am not sure that being located in Britain would be that attractive anymore.
So if we pulled out: Britain could lose a lot of overseas investment (eg Toyota).

Nevermind that if us pulling out caused the EU to disintergrate, it could lead to war.

Not only can we move to another member state but we'd also be entitled to benefits there if we chose to claim them, puts kids in schools, national health care system ( if they have one) if working etc
You can also take a non-EU spouse with you when you move ( which is actually easier than bringing them to the UK).

Being a part if the EU has huge economic benefits to the vast majority of countries in the EU (Britain included). It enables a wider trade market which has some common base of control and ensures that farmers throughout the EU can produce food at an affordable cost and that farmers can be subsidised even when the weather has caused a particularly yield.
Think about the republic of Ireland and how their economy almost collapsed entirely, what would have happened had they not been part of the EU?
I know some people are against the financial bail out of countries like Ireland but I prefer to think about the financial security that Britain and other EU countries have in return. If we came out of the EU and had a catastrophic economic collapse who would help us out?

If we left the EU, what would happen to Brits living in EU countries? Sorry, prob a stupid question. Have already learned lots from this thread though.

If not in the EU then the UK would probably be like Norway or Switzerland. Lots info online about their set up/trading status with EU.

Because so much trade is with EU both N & S have to comply with a huge number of EU regulations about manufactured goods & services, even though they have no vote & minimal influence in the creation of those regulations. N&S also pay a lot of money into the EU to have a trade-barrier-free status.

On the positive side, N & S have nominal control over agriculture, fisheries & immigration. In reality, N&S have to meet EU agricultural standards & have other international-treaty obligations on fisheries. Since N&S want their own nationals to freely be able to travel in & visit the EU, in reality N&S have to have fairly open borders just like the EU (but again, they have no vote on what those usual EU standards or expectations are).

The EU itself negotiates as a powerful unified trading bloc with rest of the world (USA, China, etc).

I find the long-term peace/no war thing trumps all that, though.

That's one question I'd like an answer to Thane. We live in another EU country and on several occasions have had to rely on the protection of EU legislation. The alternative really scares me.

Please I would like to know on behalf of my ILs who live in another EU country. They voted UKIP. [HMM]

If we left the EU, what would happen to Brits living in EU countries? Sorry, prob a stupid question. Have already learned lots from this thread though.

They wouldn't be able to use the local state funded schools for their children. They wouldn't be able to access the local health services for free. They might not be able to seek employment freely.

Holiday criminal
I completely agree, peace is the single most important factor for me personally.
Thanks for your replies, I'm really finding this interesting and informative.

Please I would like to know on behalf of my ILs who live in another EU country. They voted UKIP

I do wonder if the UK leaves the EU what happens to the many Brits living abroad. Do they have to move back to the UK?

The peace issue is a big one for me.

Working together helps build understanding and break down barriers.

Many parts of the UK have benefited from EU money for building projects (usually the poorer parts) - we never shout about it because we don't like to admit we have areas that are poor enough to benefit. (Many roads and ports in the remote parts of Scotland have been funded by EU money).

UK students can get Erasmus grants to travel and study (not necessarily abroad) - I did an MSc funded in the is way (6 months in Scotland, 6 months in Strasbourg).

Science (and probably arts) collaboration - large amounts of research funding (of which UK gets a big share than we warrant from purely per capita share) comes from EU and involves EU collaboration. I read in the New Scientist that Switzerland is currently suffering very badly because it can't be part of these projects at present. I think our science effort would be decimated if we lost EU funding (I don't see our government throwing much money into it).

Ease of travel, ease of moving to work in other countries, reciprocal medical agreements, ease of trade between countries.

I also think we benefit hugely from the environmental legislation (we don't have a good track record of bringing those things in ourself, although we are better than many in complying once forced on us).

I think the bottom line is - the EU is the cause of all our problems, if we leave it, it won't magically solve all our problems, and will create quite a lot more that most of us are unaware of.

I also ponder what happens to all those expat British people living in Spain etc - presumably there would be quite a few issues with them.

Also long term EU residents in UK - presumably it would not be so easy for them to stay.

Meant to say - universities - particularly post grad thrive on the multi ethnic, multinational environment - which would presumably reduce dramatically if we weren't part of the EU.

The EU is a VAT and customs duty union so businesses selling goods to each other cross border but intra-community do not have to pay any duty and VAT at the borders, hence a single market for trade. Businesses self account for VAT in their VAT returns instead of paying it to suppliers so it is a huge cashflow benefit compared to import VAT that you have to wait for to get back.

Freedom of citizens to live and work in other countries, reciprocal healthcare.

Peace is the most important though.

I really don't want a referendum on it as I want to stay in the EU and I think there is a risk the UK will vote to leave. There are things that need looking at and changing.

Bump

Good discussion

I'm lurking as I'm pro Europe as I think it makes economic sense but in all honesty I haven't looked into it enough

We gain a huge amount economically from EU membership.

Lots of good employment legislation (like longer maternity leave) are also as a result of membership.

UKIP claim that if we left we could still negotiate trade access, but there is no guarantee that would happen.

Leaving could mean we lose most of the multi-national companies based her to access the EU market and as we lose trading rights within the EU this would badly impact on SMEs.

Presumably EU citizens living here would the immigration systems for the right to remain. I should imagine that the same would be true for British Citizens living in Europe.

This could mean many being forced to migrate, especially the retired British ex-pats in the med as few immigration systems have space for economically inactive migrants unless they are very, very wealthy.

From a personal perspective I have been able to relocate to another EU country and make this country my home. I have worked and studied here, given birth and claimed student/child benefits.

Being in the EU widens the horizons of UK citizens, sureanyone can apply to live in the USA or Australia and I'd imagine a similar system would be used for European countries if the UK left tge EU, but there is a huge chance that applications would be turned down.

You wouldn't be able to just move to a country for 6 months to see if you liked it.

I feel that the UK is very insular anyway but if the options to travel and settle freely in Europe are taken away the UK would feel very claustrophobic.

Many people have no interest in living or traveling in other countries but I think we owe it to our children to give them the same opportunities we have now.

I wish people spent more time discussing this issue, as the majority of the country (the 51%) who voted for euro sceptic parties last week, are not aware of what being part of the EU actually means.

As well as the trade benefit, I think it would be useful to look at how much of the so called "red tape from Brussels" is actually a good thing. A lot mployment rights, environmental legislation, safety standards etc emanate from Brussels and I think the press are massively guilty of playing up the straight banana thing, rather than looking at the sensible things like car emissions.

I am so glad this thread is here!

Being a member state of the EU is so important. I believe that leaving the EU would be a complete disaster.