What has the EU ever done for you?

[jasjas1973]

With all this doom and gloom, i thought i'd start something a little positive...
For me its travel and food.

I can travel around europe as easily as i can the UK, we've EHIC, one currency, i ve worked in Sweden and found love! picked fruit in france, worked in a bicycle shop in Mallorca.
I remember what a PIA it was pre EU, open skies flights, no tunnel, loads of different currencies and border checks, green cards, travel insurance and before anyone says it - i'm not middle class by any means, i left school at 16 and my mum was on benefits.

Then there is food, in the 70s Spagbol was considered adventurous cooking, now look at what we can find in our shops plus a load of euro cooking programs.

Oh and then there is trade, my friend can export to 17 EU countries from Plymouth as easily as he can to Luton or Hull & trade disputes are easily settled.

We've also had a load of worker rights regulations, not least the Working time directive, which gives many a max 48 hr week, many employers inc mine would happily see their work do far more.

AIBU ?

Most of the reasons cited above are nothing to do with the EU.

Allowed me to travel. Given me access to medication. Provided me with food. Allowed me to meet some of my best friends who came to study in the UK. Could've allowed me to spend 6 months studying in Netherlands if I had chosen to go.

Also gave me my childhood best friend whose mother would not have lived in the UK without the EU.

When my awful landlord withheld my deposit and I couldn't afford a lawyer my lovely MEP wrote them a stiffly - worded letter and got it back for me!

What about all the EU regeneration grants.
I’ve just been to wales and I have to say. It would be fucking stuffed without EU grants. Seriously fucking stuffed.

True - as the saying goes You don't know what you've got until you haven't

Personally - I hope this comes back and bites people who voted to Leave. When they go on holiday and suddenly find their EHIC card doesn't work, when they can't get compensation etc.

Maybe it will take a shock to get people to realise.

When they go on holiday and suddenly find their EHIC card doesn't work, when they can't get compensation etc.

Or get turned back because of a speeding ticket.

Remember Priti Patel isn't letting anyone criminal in, and that will cut two ways very quickly ...

Made it possible to have GFA.

Remember Priti Patel isn't letting anyone criminal in, and that will cut two ways very quickly

Indeed.

@scaryteacher

Try starting a thread called "What has NATO done for you" & please
read my original post.

If you ve nothing positive to add, go away & post away on the other brexit threads where you views on NATO can be explored further.

Yes that's a good one Belli, i forgot about that one & the most important one too.

jasjas steady on, scary bringing NATO into it was in response to my post.

Allowed my parents to move here, leading me to meet DH and have DCs.
Workers Rights - Having a difficult pg and very happy about all the sick leave and time off for appts I've had.
Food safety standards and medicine safety standards the same everywhere you go - reassuring if you have little DC or have to get medication on holiday.

Erasmus Programme - EuRopean community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students.

A not so well know benefit, the right to seek assistance at any embassy of any member state anywhere in the world.

I've actually had occasion to rely on that one @ImNotYourGranny

Well, it let me come over here and steal a succession of jobs from British people...

Well, it let me come over here and steal a succession of jobs from British people...

You can have mine! I don't need it because I stole one from a European.

That was NATO, not the EU. Different organiasations, and NATO predates anything ECSC, thence EEC, then EU.
No, nothing to do with a military alliance. It's the social and political harmony and cohesion from te EU its predecessors that has guaranteed peace in Europe, not a military alliance built against communism (obviously).

Sounds reasonable to me, RedTrek!

@Legomadx2

What are the things mentioned due to then?

Many are citing workers rights and Employment law as whats the EU done for us. Not denying there are a number of things however - the EU is not responsible for all of these things.

The UK in a number of areas goes significantly over EU guarantees - for example EU guarantees on 14 weeks of maternity leave where in the UK we have 52 weeks ( thats UK law) Similarly paid holiday - in the EU its 4 weeks - in the UK our statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks. We had legislation protecting paid holiday before we joined....

My husband works for a huge global bank HQ’d in an EU country - thanks to the EU it’s paid for our lives for the last few years. They’re now pulling a load of UK operations to Ireland and onto mainland Europe so I’ve had to get my Irish passport in case we need to up sticks as a lot of financial services seem to be going that way.

Previous to this he worked for a large French consultancy, and could travel and work freely.

Working for these companies opened up so many opportunities and we won’t cry about it if we have to follow the money onto the continent!

pointy sorry you will only get full Brexit Bingo if you also simultaneously laze around on benefits.

The Good Friday Agreement has very little to do with the EU.