European Movement latest news: Following the AGM held on 8 October and the first National Council meeting held on 24 October, the European Movement is pleased to present its new team. Petros Fassoulas becomes the new Chairman. Full details here
Letter to European Movement Members from the Chairman of the EM UK - 19/12/11
The recent EU Summit was a shock as much as it was a blow. Mr Cameron’s decision to veto a Treaty to reform the Eurozone came as a surprise and its consequences were felt at home as well as across the EU.
A lot has been said about what it all means. Recriminations, accusations and arguments have been fired between Europhiles and Europhobes in Westminster, between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the coalition and between Britain and its EU partners in the European Council.
The effects of Cameron’s decision have indeed been negative both for the EU as a whole and Britain’s position within it. We at the European Movement have warned of what the consequences of Mr Cameron’s veto will be.
But it is time we shift our discourse. We need to focus on the positives of EU membership. On all the things the UK can achieve as a member of the European Union. We need to move the debate away from regret and fear to a positive message of success through membership of the EU.
For the full letter please click here.
Letter from the President and Chairman of the European Movement - 12/12/11
Last week’s events constitute the biggest threat to British interests at home and abroad in a long time. The Prime Minister’s decision to veto efforts to safeguard the eurozone resulted in marginalising Britain and alienating our EU partners. Eurosceptics and large elements of the tabloid press are calling for him to go further and sever permanently Britain’s links with the European Union.
In this context it is imperative that we stand up and make the case in favour of Britain’s membership of the EU. The European Movement firmly believes that Britain’s future lies within the EU and our national interests can better be served as an active, constructively engaged and influential member of the European Union. We benefit significantly from our membership of the EU in terms of trade, economic growth, jobs, security, peace and global influence.
Please help the European Movement to continue to make the case for Britain’s membership of the EU by frequent appearances in the press, lobbying MPs, conducting research and writing articles as well as organising events by making a donation, however small.
For the full letter please click here.
European Movement Statement on European Summit Outcome: Britain has lost influence and gained nothing in return - 10/12/11
The European Movement condemns David Cameron’s decision to boycott the drafting of a new European treaty. Nothing has been gained but influence has been lost.
No changes have been made to the way in which the EU regulates financial services, and Britain’s ability to find allies on this issue has been reduced by its veto of the idea of a new treaty. That new treaty will now happen anyway, improving the economy, trade, growth and jobs, but without Britain and without British influence.
Read the full statement here.
European Movement calls for measures that will guarantee the future stability of the Eurozone - 08/12/11
On the day that EU leaders meet for a very important Summit, the European Movement calls upon them to agree on short-, medium- and long-term measures that will guarantee the future of the common currency, restore market confidence, strengthen European unity and protect the wellbeing of Europe's citizens.
The European Movement calls for a comprehensive integration of economic, budgetary and fiscal policies in the Eurozone which will underpin the monetary union and lead to the creation of a common European economy alongside the EU's single market.
Read the full press release here.
The European Movement welcomes the European Commission's proposals on the introduction of Eurobonds - 23/11/11
The European Movement welcomes the Commission's study that assesses the feasibility of the common issuance of Stability Bonds. Considering current economic circumstances, we agree with the report's conclusion that so-called "eurobonds" could be a powerful tool to manage the sovereign debt crisis by addressing liquidity constraints in Member States of the eurozone.
Read the full press release here.
The European Movement responds to the EU Membership Referendum Debate in the House of Commons with a "Letter to MPs" - 17/11/2011
Today’s globalised world is presenting the UK with a whole host of new challenges. The breathtaking economic growth of the emerging countries is reshaping the balance of power in the world. Western countries are suffering from an ongoing process of relative decline in comparison to countries such as China, India, Russia or Brazil among others. In this international context the EU is a powerful bloc in which European nations can pursue their common interests together and enhances their position when negotiating trade agreements with these emerging powerhouses. The UK can make the most of the opportunities presented in this changing international landscape as part of the biggest common market in the world.
The EU is the largest market in the world as well as the biggest economy. The EU’s single market generates enormous benefits from trade within the EU and with the rest of the world. It is in large part due to the Single Market that the City of London is today the leading European financial centre as well as one of the most important worldwide. It is in the UK’s commercial interest to remain part of the Single Market, not just because of the growth and jobs it brings to our country but also because by being part of it we can influence and form the rules and conditions according to which it operates. Read the full letter here.
David Cameron rules out "in/out" Referendum on Britain's EU Membership - 03/10/2011
Coinciding with the beginning of the Conservative party conference in Manchester, the prime minister has dismissed a key demand of the Tory right. Speaking in an interview on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Cameron stated that "I do not want Britain to leave the EU", and ruled out any "in/out" referendum concerning British EU membership. This follows repeated Conservative demands for such a referendum as well as a petition with over 100,000 signatures calling for public consultation on continued EU membership. Instead, the prime minister stated that "I think (a referendum is) the wrong answer for Britain. What most people want in this country is not actually to leave the EU, but to reform the EU and make sure that the balance of powers between a country like Britain and Europe is better."
'The EU is not dead' - 28/09/2011
Interesting interview with John McCormick, Jean Monnet Chair of European Union Politics at Indiana University-Purdue.
Though the European project is currently facing a critical crisis with some even announcing its death, the European Union has overcome similar situations in the past and its influence in areas like environmental policy and democracy-promotion in Eastern Europe continues to be underestimated, said John McCormick in an interview with EurActiv. Read the full interview here.
The other answer to terrorism is more democracy -26/09/2011
Norwegian response to terrorist attacks; "More democracy and more openess". www.euobserver.com
Reforming the International Monetary System - 22/09/2011
A report by the Centre of European Policy Research entitled ‘Reforming the International Monetary System’ argues that eurobonds should be issued to decrease the reliance on US treasuries as the dominant worldwide reserve asset.
The authors argue that with the US economy declining relative to the size of the global economy, America will inevitably lose its reserve currency monopoly, says the report.
The euro and the yuan are highlighted as the only viable candidates to compete with the dollar in a multipolar financial system, given the size of the European and Chinese economies.
The emergence of this "multipolar world" is in itself a source of stabilisation for the world economy because it will increase the diversified supply of reserve assets, the paper says. Read the full report here.
Former centre-left MEP wins Danish elections - 20/09/2011
Denmark on Thursday (15 September) elected former Social-Democrat MEP Helle Thorning-Schmidt to become its first female premier. The new government is likely to row back on controversial border checks and have a more generous approach to EU spending. Read the full article here
'Federal Union Now'. New publication by Andrew Duff MEP - 16/09/2011
Andrew Duff (EM member) has recently written a new pamphlet in which he argues that the EU must undertake major reforms to create a federal Union if it is to successfully tackle the current economic and institutional crisis. The document provides an interesting perspective at a moment when serious talks to reform the EU are taking place.
Duff claims that, although the Lisbon Treaty has brought about positive changes, further transformation towards a federal framework is urgently needed. The Lisbon Treaty would have to be turned into a federal Constitution. The creation of a federal European government, with a greater and more autonomous budget, would need to integrate the presidencies of the European Commission and the European Council. The Council of Ministers and the EP would become the equivalent of two chambers of the legislature and a more powerful ECJ would become the Supreme Court. In order to save the Euro the creation of a federal European economic government is a must. The key reform in this area would be to mutualise national debt by introducing euro-bonds.
Regarding the UK - and other Member States that would likely oppose the idea of a federal EU - Duff proposes the creation of a new category of association that allows Member States that wish so to further integrate without interferences. This new category of association for Member States that opt to remain out of the 'Federal Union', Duff hopes, would only be temporary until all Member States eventually join. Read the full paper here.
European Movement welcomes House of Commons report on Turkish membership of the EU - 08/08/11
The European Movement welcomes the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee report on the implications for the Justice and Home Affairs area of the accession of Turkey to the European Union.
We share the Committee’s position of continued support for Turkish membership, and endorse the overall argument that the risks Turkish accession poses for increased organised crime in the EU and augmented flows of irregular migrants would be considerably outweighed by potential benefits. Those benefits will manifest themselves both in terms of improvements in the systems and capabilities that will be necessary to bring Turkey in line with the rest of the EU and the unique opportunities it will bring for increased cooperation with EU law enforcement agencies and Europol.
Click here to read the full press release.
European Movement supports Commission efforts to reform the Common Fisheries Policy - 08/08/11
The European Movement welcomes the publication of the New Economics Foundation’s (nef) report on discarding fish. In order to preserve what is a valuable renewable resource, we agree with the report’s conclusion that, given the current economic and environmental circumstances, any waste of resources or harm to scarce fish populations would be unwelcome.
Click here to read the full press release.
