On being European

In or out?

Just recently a number of people have asked me – what is your position on Europe – in or out?

I am afraid I can’t respond with a noisy Katie Hopkins style sound bite and I am avoiding too much 'economist speak'. This blog is an invitation to my friends  to take a few moments to see the reasoning behind the vote I will make on  23 June.

My first point is that I am European. 
I have travelled extensively in Europe using a UK drivers’ license which is valid throughout the EU, enjoying the food and drinking the wine (but not at the same time because of EU rules on drink driving) and also having access to healthcare. English is my first language but I have been blessed to live in Italy and Finland. Until last week I was one of the 1.4 million British people living abroad in the EU. Being European means I can easily escape English weather and enjoy what Greece, Spain and Portugal have to offer. I have also been very lucky to study in Europe and lead exchange visits, partner projects and a range of other education opportunities. In 2013 more than 14,500 UK students practised language skills, broadened their horizons and improved their job prospects through the European Union’s Erasmus student exchange scheme. I am proud to be a part of Europe and the opportunities it offers us.

My second point is that we currently face really troubling times. As a historian I can absolutely tell you that working together really is the best way to find strategies to overcome our challenges. Nationalism really did not help anyone in 1939 and it’s not going to help us now.  We created so much of what the European Union and the European Commission is about – it is ours and we cannot abandon it now because it is facing challenges. I find myself agreeing with William Hague who said last year that “We still need the EU to provide the safe harbour for the docking of fragile democracies, and it would be strange to champion that idea but abandon it ourselves.”  There are many things I think could be improved about the EU and we still need more informed and intelligent debate on what is best for the economy, migration and security. What I know from working for on EU projects is that by working together we have access to wider research, broader options and the economies of scale that we would not have on our own.

And so to my third point; a shared Europe means shared burdens and shared responsibility. Being part of the EU means we make laws together, saving each individual country vast amounts of time and money. Common rules for the single market make it unnecessary to have 28 sets of national regulations, thus cutting red tape and reducing the amount of information required to trade effectively.  This is very important for small to medium enterprise here in the UK. 

We can take a joined up approach to saving lives and promoting peace. It would be immoral and impractical to distance ourselves from Europe’s current challenges. This is, however, more than a challenge to the ‘I'm all right Jack mentality‘. We would not actually be all right. I'm not scaremongering – just pointing out that the single market is really, really important to us. Being part of it means we can shape it, benefit from it and ensure we have the edge in business. Around 3.5 million British jobs are directly linked to British membership of the European Union’s single market – 1 in 10 British jobs, including my own. The EU buys over 50 per cent of UK exports and the single market makes that easier. Over 300,000 British companies and 74 per cent of British exporters operate in other EU markets. Firms from outside the EU build factories in Britain because the single market ensures wider trade with Europe. The EU negotiates trade agreements with the rest of the world on behalf of us.

Beer in Brussels

Take a little time to reflect on all this :)

These trade deals are not unfavourable to us. The EU is the world’s largest market, but the UK outside the EU would not be a high priority for other counties to negotiate a trade deal. More significantly we would have to shoulder all the additional costs of renegotiating trade deals alone. “Ah - but Norway” I hear you say. Well, my Norwegian friends might want to fill us in on the impact of not being part of the EU but I suspect they don’t want fishing quotas, despite the implications of over fishing, and of course oil trade negotiations are worldwide. They already do equality and welfare better than most EU member states. I’d like to point out though, I once paid the equivalent of £12 for a pint of beer in Stavanger, Norway.

A little more time to reflect perhaps?

Aside from enabling us to purchase cheap wine and beer from other places in the EU, the EU has also been responsible for negotiating lower mobile phone roaming charges, lower credit card fees, cheaper flights and proper compensation when flights are delayed or cancelled. It a really great club to belong to and I will be reluctant to leave. If you want to chat sensibly about the EU I do have an MBA in International Development, a background as a historian and 13 years of working on EU projects. Please join me for a glass of Bordeaux or Leffe brun. If, however, you want to indulge in a nationalistic rant please just get on with that elsewhere.

And the answer – IN please! Cheers, Kipis, Sante 

Me - graduating in Paris with champagne and parents