50 reasons to love the European Union

[Letum]

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2377694.ece

Jolly Good!

[SandpaperPere]

:damn:
Lists like this drive the Eurosceptics mad

[Sailor Steve]

:rotfl:

I'm glad it's not all serious. There's some funny stuff there.

[STEED]

The EU is a nest of vipers working to there own agenda, they suck big time. Filthy corrupt swine they are. :mad:

Give the EU the :/\\chop

[bigboywooly]

Bit of Britain bashing in there :hmm:

You have no choice but to be multilingual
The bulk of our major deliveries of print come in from Poland\Germany\Portugal and Austria

Right mish mash of drivers and none of them speak English

As to the border checks - not long or strict enough

:rotfl:

[joea]

The EU is a nest of vipers working to there own agenda, they suck big time. Filthy corrupt swine they are. :mad:

Give the EU the :/\\chop

Did you even read the list?? :hmm:

[STEED]

Did you even read the list?? :hmm:

Yes, I can give you a thousand reasons why the EU sucks. ;)

I have nothing against Europe at all. I just can not stand the European Parliament.

The EU intends to turn the United Kingdom into 12 regions. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will still exist as identified regions - though their so-called Parliaments are, in reality, merely Regional Assemblies of the European Union.

England, on the other hand, is being split up into nine regions. Each already has a Regional Assembly - under the authority of Brussels. Eight of the Regional Assemblies are entirely unelected. The members are appointed by the Labour Government. The ninth Regional Assembly is better known as the London Assembly - under Ken Livingstone. It's the only one of the nine which has members who have been elected.

All nine Regional Assemblies were set up under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. Their names are:

London Assembly
East of England Regional Assembly
East Midlands Regional Assembly
North East Assembly
North West Regional Assembly
South East England Regional Assembly
South West Regional Assembly
West Midlands Regional Assembly
Yorkshire and Humber Assembly


Only another 999 to go.

[Happy Times]

I woul like to see a nordic/baltic union with Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. More balanced and wealthy northern power house.:hmm:

[Fish]

The EU is a nest of vipers working to there own agenda, they suck big time. Filthy corrupt swine they are. :mad:

Give the EU the :/\\chop

Typically island paranoia. :up:

[STEED]

Typically island paranoia. :up:

Tell that to are Fishermen and what's left of there fleet and there jobs thanks to the EU. :yep: :smug:

[Torpedo Fodder]

Strong economic growth - greater than the United States last year

That's not true at all: unless you consider the addition of the countries that joined the EU in 2006 as "economic growth".

And I have just two words to illustrate how I feel about the EU: Turbot War.

[Polak]

I stand side by side, with STEED on this one.
:/\\chop to the EU. And I am a Pole, we are supposed to "benefitial" from this Union, that is just BS.

[Gizzmoe]

I stand side by side, with STEED on this one.
:/\\chop to the EU. And I am a Pole, we are supposed to "benefitial" from this Union, that is just BS.

You think Poland would be better off outside of the EU, on its own? Think again... ;)

[SUBMAN1]

This looks almost like State sponsered propoganda, written by a reporter who either got a benefit from the EU, or got a kickback. Are you sure these guys are really called - The Independent?

-S

[Polak]

I stand side by side, with STEED on this one.
:/\\chop to the EU. And I am a Pole, we are supposed to "benefitial" from this Union, that is just BS.
You think Poland would be better off outside of the EU, on its own? Think again... ;)
There are many sides to it, I agree with you that we partly benefit from the EU, but there are many negative angles also, that I personally am unhappy about.

[Gizzmoe]

There are many sides to it, I agree with you that we partly benefit from the EU, but there are many negative angles also, that I personally am unhappy about.

Yeah, there are quite a few things to be unhappy about, but the old system sucked even more. Every country had its own currency, travelling was more difficult and so on... Before 1989 Poland was a sh1thole, this has changed, so a united Europe isn´t that bad, right? :)

[Polak]

Personally, I am totally against a united Europe and I happen to like my Polish currency, sorry I am just not a big fan of the EMU.
It’s nice that traveling is made easier, but there are many downsides to this that I am getting really worried about. I travel a lot, between Poland and Sweden and I see and hear a lot about the things that get smuggled between these countries, some things are crazy and really scary. This is the biggest downside with our new, more opened borders. I can only imagine that this situation is much worse on the Polish-German border.
But I agree with you that Poland was a total sh1thole even before 1998, but we finally managed to pull our things together and started the extensive process of repairing our country. During resent years the EU contributed to this process, but somehow this still does not convince me to supporting the union.

[TteFAboB]

I was amazed to see sculptures of the Euro for sale. Signs of a desperate new civilization already in decline still seeking in agony and vain for its foundational symbols and signs, all of which turn out to be "materialistic" irrelevances.

This list is fantastic evidence:

1 The end of war between European nations. - Peace at all costs is good, this says. Regardless of the EU itself, here is the #1 value of your good citizen today.

2 Democracy is now flourishing in 27 countries. - Who elected the EU? The assemblies? Who voted for the EU constitution? Only 2 of these countries. And one of them rejected it. Democracy? Where? Anyway, the #2 value of the modern citizen is this empty "democratism", deprived of any substance and characterized by its outershell itself.

3 Once-poor countries, such as Ireland, Greece and Portugal, are prospering. - Money ranked 3rd.

4 The creation of the world's largest internal trading market. - And 4th.

5 Unparalleled rights for European consumers. - The consumerist culture. And money.

6 Co-operation on continent-wide immigration policy. - Administrative efficiency.

7 Co-operation on crime, through Europol. - More efficient management. Nevermind many of those immigrants cited above end up causing and raising crime.

8 Laws that make it easier for British people to buy property in Europe. - Another one for money.

9 Cleaner beaches and rivers throughout Europe. - Enviromentalism.

10 Four weeks statutory paid holiday a year for workers in Europe. - Money and pleasure.

11 No death penalty (it is incompatible with EU membership). - No need to. Those who don't abide by the politically correct guidelines will starve untill they submit.

12 Competition from privatised companies means cheaper phone calls. - Money.

13 Small EU bureaucracy (24,000 employees, fewer than the BBC). - Money.

14 Making the French eat British beef again. - This one's here only to give us a break from all the money.

15 Minority languages, such as Irish, Welsh and Catalan recognised and protected. - Protected from whom? Recognized as what by whom? What about Turkish and Arabic?

16 Europe is helping to save the planet with regulatory cuts in CO2. - Go captain planet! The soul has been left for #16.

17 One currency from Bantry to Berlin (but not Britain). - Money.

18 Europe-wide travel bans on tyrants such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe. - Joke or not? If he can't travel to Europe he'll have to remain in Zimbabwe tyrannizing his people there.

19 The EU gives twice as much aid to developing countries as the United States. - Money.

20 Strict safety standards for cars, buses and aircraft. - Consumer's primacy.

21 Free medical help for tourists. - Money.

22 EU peacekeepers operate in trouble spots throughout the world. - Peacekeepers. Peace at all costs.

23 Europe's single market has brought cheap flights to the masses, and new prosperity for forgotten cities. - Money.

24 Introduction of pet passports. - Not a joke. It's important to recognize the civil rights of other animals and creatures so that people start creating their own artificial identities.

25 It now takes only 2 hrs 35 mins from London to Paris by Eurostar. - Always good to have a quick escape route.

26 Prospect of EU membership has forced modernisation on Turkey. - No clue what this one means. Above it was said that minority languages and third world countries were being protected and receiving aid. Suddenly pushing Turkey around is good. Go figure the incoherence.

27 Shopping without frontiers gives consumers more power to shape markets. - Consumer's primacy. Or: money.

28 Cheap travel and study programmes means greater mobility for Europe's youth. - Any programmes to Turkey or Zimbabwe? There's money in this one.

29 Food labelling is much clearer. - Consumer's primacy/money.

30 No tiresome border checks (apart from in the UK). Administrative efficiency.

31 Compensation for passengers suffering air delays. - Money.

32 Strict ban on animal testing for the cosmetic industry. - Oops! They're hurting the consumers! And making things more expensive aswell, and more difficult and time-consuming! However, as long as the second part of the citizen's soul is appealed to (enviromentalism), all will be well.

33 Greater protection for Europe's wildlife. - Same as above.

34 Regional development fund has aided the deprived parts of Britain. - Money.

35 European driving licences recognised across the EU. - Administrative Genius.

36 Britons now feel a lot less insular. - Not a joke. Necessary for the construction of a single European federation.

37 Europe's bananas remain bent, despite sceptics' fears. - Dismiss fears with humor, not certainty or investigation.

38 Strong economic growth - greater than the United States last year. - Money.

39 Single market has brought the best continental footballers to Britain. - Pleasure.

40 Human rights legislation has protected the rights of the individual. Empty "democratism". Every individual is loaded with rights but with little margin of freedom.

41 European Parliament provides democratic checks on all EU laws. - Same as above. This one betrays itself: democratic is all that the EP approves and vice-versa (everything a country approves but is rejected by the EU).

42 EU gives more, not less, sovereignty to nation states. - 2+2=5

43 Maturing EU is a proper counterweight to the power of US and China. - Feel the power! Euro-Powwah, nigga! Sure, the EU is a counterweight to China, not a major reason why both the US and China are "strong".

44 European immigration has boosted the British economy. - Money.

45 Europeans are increasingly multilingual - except Britons, who are less so. - Funny. But it's not true. All countries must abide and implement the politically correct dialect into each language. There's French and there's Newfrench.

46 Europe has set Britain an example how properly to fund a national health service. Money and administrative genius.

47 British restaurants now much more cosmopolitan. - Sorry, I don't have enough knowledge to get this one.

48 Total mobility for career professionals in Europe. - Money. Just as a question, what is total mobility? Do CEOs of companies spend half the year cleaning toilets or something?

49 Europe has revolutionised British attitudes to food and cooking. - Ok.

50 Lists like this drive the Eurosceptics mad. - What the hell is an Eurosceptic? Is that how we divide people in Europe now? By those who are Euroskeptic and those who are not? So the core issue of an European's life is to define and affirm himself as either Euroskeptic or whatever is its opposite. Enriching the spirit!

Here's my scorecard:

Money - 19
The administrative genius of the Euro-state: 5
Consumer's primacy culture - 4
Enviromentalism - 4
Empty democratism - 3
Peace at all costs - 2

With this set of values, who needs an enemy?

I take it this is a joke, considering the disproportional importance given to materialistic wealth. How can you agree with Gwyneth Paltrow if you parade such a money-obsessed list around?

[goldorak]

The EU is a nest of vipers working to there own agenda, they suck big time. Filthy corrupt swine they are. :mad:

Give the EU the :/\\chop

Typically island paranoia. :up:

De Gaulle was right in not wanting the Uk into the CEE.
Pity nobody agreed with him. :rotfl:

[bigboywooly]

The EU is a nest of vipers working to there own agenda, they suck big time. Filthy corrupt swine they are. :mad:

Give the EU the :/\\chop

Typically island paranoia. :up:

De Gaulle was right in not wanting the Uk into the CEE.
Pity nobody agreed with him. :rotfl:

Especially in the UK :nope:

[Tchocky]

The EU intends to turn the United Kingdom into 12 regions. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will still exist as identified regions - though their so-called Parliaments are, in reality, merely Regional Assemblies of the European Union.
England, on the other hand, is being split up into nine regions. Each already has a Regional Assembly - under the authority of Brussels. Eight of the Regional Assemblies are entirely unelected. The members are appointed by the Labour Government. The ninth Regional Assembly is better known as the London Assembly - under Ken Livingstone. It's the only one of the nine which has members who have been elected.
All nine Regional Assemblies were set up under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. Their names are:
London Assembly
East of England Regional Assembly
East Midlands Regional Assembly
North East Assembly
North West Regional Assembly
South East England Regional Assembly
South West Regional Assembly
West Midlands Regional Assembly
Yorkshire and Humber Assembly

Only another 999 to go. You left out some of the more hilarious stuff from your source, STEED.
The East Kent Mercury reported the other day that crossing the channel will soon no longer be classed as a trip abroad by the EU. The English Channel won't be the English channel. It will become a maritime space controlled by the EU. Lloyds List shipping newspaper says it's a sinister move that should be resisted. In 2007, the Scottish economist Adam Smith is going to appear on the English £20 note. The first time a Scot has ever appeared on a Bank of England note. Sports fans will have noticed that a growing number of England cricket, football and rugby matches are no longer shown on the BBC - despite promises that national matches would be shown on terrestrial television.Hard-hitting stuff there from Vernon Coleman.
http://www.vernoncoleman.com/chanceofsurv.htm
I was amazed to see sculptures of the Euro for sale. Signs of a desperate new civilization already in decline still seeking in agony and vain for its foundational symbols and signs, all of which turn out to be "materialistic" irrelevances.
Materialism is not an irrelevancy. it's the food you eat, the money in your pocket. The way most people with Net access live. There's nothing irrelevant about going hungry because your job doesnt pay enough. I cant believe this sentence offended me so much. maybe I'm getting too sensitive.

It's not a civilization, it's a trading organisation. Granted, an organisation that is expanding into to a more political than economic role, but thats a long way from describing the EU as a "civilization". Do Switzerland and Norway fall outside of this "civilization" because they are not members?

2 Democracy is now flourishing in 27 countries. - Who elected the EU? The assemblies? Who voted for the EU constitution? Only 2 of these countries. And one of them rejected it. Democracy? Where? Anyway, the #2 value of the modern citizen is this empty "democratism", deprived of any substance and characterized by its outershell itself.the Constitution was rejected and is now being revised. Sounds like democracy to me. As for who elects the EU. Me. And a few others.

3 Once-poor countries, such as Ireland, Greece and Portugal, are prospering. - Money ranked 3rd.Money and prosperity are wonderful things, what else do you expect a tariff-removing, trading organisation to inspire?

4 The creation of the world's largest internal trading market. - And 4th. That's the point. Original name - Coal & Steel
Community. Trade and money. What's wrong with them?5 Unparalleled rights for European consumers. - The consumerist culture. And money.[/quote] Durr.
7 Co-operation on crime, through Europol. - More efficient management. Nevermind many of those immigrants cited above end up causing and raising crime. So the immigration and crime services work closely together, how does your postulation that immigrants raise crime invalidate this?
9 Cleaner beaches and rivers throughout Europe. - Enviromentalism. I know. It sickens me.
10 Four weeks statutory paid holiday a year for workers in Europe. - Money and pleasure. The filth!
11No death penalty (it is incompatible with EU membership). - No need to. Those who don't abide by the politically correct guidelines will starve untill they submit. I have no idea what you mean here.
15 Minority languages, such as Irish, Welsh and Catalan recognised and protected. - Protected from whom? Recognized as what by whom? What about Turkish and Arabic? Turkey isn't in the EU, wake the hell up.
22 EU peacekeepers operate in trouble spots throughout the world. - Peacekeepers. Peace at all costs. Yes. I see the progression you're making there.
23 Europe's single market has brought cheap flights to the masses, and new prosperity for forgotten cities. - Money. Get your ****ing head out of your ass. Money means the difference between eating and starving.
26 Prospect of EU membership has forced modernisation on Turkey. - No clue what this one means. Above it was said that minority languages and third world countries were being protected and receiving aid. Suddenly pushing Turkey around is good. Go figure the incoherence.You've really lost me. Action on human rights violations and reviving dying languages are equivalent?
28 Cheap travel and study programmes means greater mobility for Europe's youth. - Any programmes to Turkey or Zimbabwe? There's money in this one. Money is in lots of things. Capitalism and all that.
29 Food labelling is much clearer. - Consumer's primacy/money.Consumer safety.
30 No tiresome border checks (apart from in the UK). Administrative efficiency. No, removal of massive pain in the ass for travellers.
34 Regional development fund has aided the deprived parts of Britain. - Money. Yeah, money. Jobs, development, growth. Eugh.
37 Europe's bananas remain bent, despite sceptics' fears. - Dismiss fears with humor, not certainty or investigation. hilarious, looking at your post. Well done.
42 EU gives more, not less, sovereignty to nation states. - 2+2=5 Agreed, don't quite know where this one comes from.
45 Europeans are increasingly multilingual - except Britons, who are less so. - Funny. But it's not true. All countries must abide and implement the politically correct dialect into each language. There's French and there's Newfrench.Dismiss points with humor, not certainty or investigation.
48 Total mobility for career professionals in Europe. - Money. Just as a question, what is total mobility? Do CEOs of companies spend half the year cleaning toilets or something? If you want to move jobs from Belfast to Berlin, no problem. nothing to do with toilet cleaning.
I take it this is a joke, considering the disproportional importance given to materialistic wealth. How can you agree with Gwyneth Paltrow if you parade such a money-obsessed list around? What do you expect the EU provide if not opportunities for citizens to live out their lives, and maybe even make a little money along the way? I don't understand your objection to materialism in government/economics. If the EU were set up to be a panacea to fill every nook and cranny of our lives, your childish critique might be valid. But believe it or not, we don't all live every day for, by and of the EU.

[Letum]

42 EU gives more, not less, sovereignty to nation states. - 2+2=5 Agreed, don't quite know where this one comes from.

The idea is that a single nation can not assert it's sovereignty when trading to trade with more economically powerful nations. However a nation with the backing of a group of nations with a combined economy can.

For example, China could unfairly tax UK imports if they wanted to with out a big effect on China's own economy. The EU ensures that China can not do this because the UK's exports become EU exports and China can not unfairly tax the EU with out suffering negative effects on China's own economy.

In this way the EU gives the UK more sovereignty and independence when trading with more economically powerful nations.

:up:

[Torpedo Fodder]

The idea is that a single nation can not assert it's sovereignty when trading to trade with more economically powerful nations. However a nation with the backing of a group of nations with a combined economy can.
It also allows EU nations more leeway to steal the natural resources of other countries, like what Spain did in the '90s to Canada, and got the full backing of the EU during the ensuing dispute: see my previous post about the Turbot War: Even after this fishing dispute was supposedly resolved, we still get frequient violations of our economic sovereignty by European fishing vessels (a Portugese fishing vessel was stopped by us back in 2005, for example). The EU also imposes steep tariffs on goods imported from outside, yet whines like a schoolgirl when other countries who import from the EU do the same (see: the US/EU steel dispute of 2003)

[Letum]

The idea is that a single nation can not assert it's sovereignty when trading to trade with more economically powerful nations. However a nation with the backing of a group of nations with a combined economy can.
It also allows EU nations more leeway to steal the natural resources of other countries, like what Spain did in the '90s to Canada, and got the full backing of the EU during the ensuing dispute: see my previous post about the Turbot War: Even after this fishing dispute was supposedly resolved, we still get frequent violations of our economic sovereignty by European fishing vessels (a Portuguese fishing vessel was stopped by us back in 2005, for example). The EU also imposes steep tariffs on goods imported from outside, yet whines like a schoolgirl when other countries who import from the EU do the same (see: the US/EU steel dispute of 2003)
Yes, the EU allows us to crush weaker nations like Canada under out mighty economic fist. All shall fall before us.
Seriously tho, the EU wasn't created to be nice to other nations, it was created to be economically strong against other countries.

btw...I live quite close to Whitby (UK)

[TteFAboB]

Materialism is not an irrelevancy. it's the food you eat, the money in your pocket. The way most people with Net access live. There's nothing irrelevant about going hungry because your job doesnt pay enough. I cant believe this sentence offended me so much. maybe I'm getting too sensitive.

Thanks for granting me the same rights you grant yourself. That term is in quotes because I'm a materialist myself, without quotes. Of the many tensions we have, "materialism" is one of those that can't be solved by simply cutting on one end or the other, but by understanding that this tension is part of reality itself. You're not getting too sensitive, you're getting insensitive. You're not considering me a human being just like you. You have thought for a moment that I consider hunger irrelevant. I ask that before you proceed you come out of your little fantasy world where apparently I am no more than an insensitive caricature.

It's not a civilization, it's a trading organisation. Granted, an organisation that is expanding into to a more political than economic role, but thats a long way from describing the EU as a "civilization". Do Switzerland and Norway fall outside of this "civilization" because they are not members?

That's the trick. You say it's a trade organization, bringing prosperity to all. Countries join, paying to see. Then they start receiving the guidelines. No the EU isn't a "civilization", I don't think civilizations can get that small, and they don't echo, echo, echo... when you talk to them. A civilization of trade trades itself, sells itself, its own mother, to the highest bidder, and thus, buys its own destruction. Certainly not.

3 Once-poor countries, such as Ireland, Greece and Portugal, are prospering. - Money ranked 3rd.Money and prosperity are wonderful things, what else do you expect a tariff-removing, trading organisation to inspire?

I'm not expecting anything. It's the newspaper and the readers who are celebrating.

4 The creation of the world's largest internal trading market. - And 4th. That's the point. Original name - Coal & Steel
Community. Trade and money. What's wrong with them?

There's nothing wrong in this list. This is the list of the good things. Durr.

15 Minority languages, such as Irish, Welsh and Catalan recognised and protected. - Protected from whom? Recognized as what by whom? What about Turkish and Arabic? Turkey isn't in the EU, wake the hell up.

What about the Turk minority? How dare you exclude them from the multiculturalism? They've come to settle their own culture in your middle and you treat them like that? Can't you see that there's so few, or so many, of them that in one generation their language could disappear? You sick filthy Turkophobe!

23 Europe's single market has brought cheap flights to the masses, and new prosperity for forgotten cities. - Money. Get your ****ing head out of your ass. Money means the difference between eating and starving.

When was the last time Europeans starved again? And during the time they didn't, how much of this time is covered by the EU's existence? Seems like the EU wants to take all the credit for something completely independent of them, out of their reach and control. As the most proeminent promoter of capitalism in the continent it privatizes its merits to pose as the sole cause of prosperity. The first I don't contest, it's a fact. The second I do. Who are we fooling? We're only playing free-market because we've finally accepted that otherwise there isn't enough money to afford the bureaucracy and all the "rights". The cause of prosperity in Europe lies with those Europeans who wake up every day and go create wealth. The EU survives off their taxes, if it weren't for them, there wouldn't be any EU at all.

You're contesting a point I don't intend to make at all. One of FDR's New Deal goals was to provide one chicken a week for every poor family. Poor families today can afford a chicken meal a day by themselves or more if that's high in their priorities. Sorry if I can't see what's so fantastic about this. To me it's obvious. The free-market feeds.

26 Prospect of EU membership has forced modernisation on Turkey. - No clue what this one means. Above it was said that minority languages and third world countries were being protected and receiving aid. Suddenly pushing Turkey around is good. Go figure the incoherence.You've really lost me. Action on human rights violations and reviving dying languages are equivalent?

I didn't knew it had anything to do with human rights. I've said it, look, there it is, no clue. Is it that thing about the Armenians and the Kurds? If so I understand where the modernisation comes from. The Turks will recognize and protect their own minority languages. Armenian is to Welsh as Kurd is to Catalan. They'll be as modern as the EU. Hmm, this concept of modernisation, doesn't this has something to do with a civilizational process? An idea of progress, that you know what is the heading that leads to the future? Strange for a trade organization to modernize a whole nation.

I take it this is a joke, considering the disproportional importance given to materialistic wealth. How can you agree with Gwyneth Paltrow if you parade such a money-obsessed list around? What do you expect the EU provide if not opportunities for citizens to live out their lives, and maybe even make a little money along the way? I don't understand your objection to materialism in government/economics. If the EU were set up to be a panacea to fill every nook and cranny of our lives, your childish critique might be valid. But believe it or not, we don't all live every day for, by and of the EU.

But isn't it? What's the point about "rights" then? If all you want is capitalism, what's with sovereignty, rights, protecting languages? Did I completely missed the point and the interest for those is money aswell? You want peace because there's no money to be made when all markets are closed. You want to protect Welsh to attract tourists. You legislate on enviromental issues because degradation is bad for the economy as a whole.

If that's it I would need to update my scorecard: Money - 50, minus the jokes.

No doubt where the sentiment of guilt comes from. It's evil to torture Europeans imposing this icon of money on them. But we must recognize the sovereignty of the people. You have assured me they live in a Democracy, so it was their choice. I still don't see how any of this is an accomplishment of the EU, rather, it only gets in the way. If Europeans are also so humble they refuse to take credit for their deeds, so be it, somebody has to and the EU-bureaucrats are willing to take it, for their own survival.

50 Reasons why the EU is redundant: http://ironiestoo.blogspot.com/2007/03/50-reasons-to-fear-eu.html

[Fish]

Typically island paranoia. :up:

Tell that to are Fishermen and what's left of there fleet and there jobs thanks to the EU. :yep: :smug:

I'm from a fisherman famely, documented back to the 15e century.
But I back the EU in that decision, if not, there will be no fish to fish at in the near future.

[Fish]

I stand side by side, with STEED on this one.
:/\\chop to the EU. And I am a Pole, we are supposed to "benefitial" from this Union, that is just BS.

Be patient. Talk to me again in five years.:yep:

Structural funds for Poland - 2004-2006
€millions
%
Total value of funds
14,8915
100
Funds provided by the EU
11,368.6
76.3

[Fish]

I stand side by side, with STEED on this one.
:/\\chop to the EU. And I am a Pole, we are supposed to "benefitial" from this Union, that is just BS.

Be patient. Talk to me again in five years.:yep:

Structural funds for Poland - 2004-2006
€millions
%
Total value of funds
14,8915 %100
Funds provided by the EU
11,368.6 %76.3

[bigboywooly]

Typically island paranoia. :up:

Tell that to are Fishermen and what's left of there fleet and there jobs thanks to the EU. :yep: :smug:

I'm from a fisherman famely, documented back to the 15e century.
But I back the EU in that decision, if not, there will be no fish to fish at in the near future.

Agreed if it wasnt for foreign fishing fleets now fshing where the UK ones used too :nope:

[Fish]

Typically island paranoia. :up:

Tell that to are Fishermen and what's left of there fleet and there jobs thanks to the EU. :yep: :smug:

I'm from a fisherman family, documented back to the 15e century.
But I back the EU in that decision, if not, there will be no fish to fish at in the near future.

Agreed if it wasnt for foreign fishing fleets now fshing where the UK ones used too :nope:

I quess you mean russian and japanese fish-factory-ships? They fish all over the world. :down:

[bigboywooly]

Ummm no I was refering more to French fleets

Here is a glimpse of the state of the fishing problem

Brussels has allocated 73 per cent of the cod quota in the English Channel to France, only 8 per cent to Britain.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/11/nbook11.xml

[Torpedo Fodder]

Seriously tho, the EU wasn't created to be nice to other nations, it was created to be economically strong against other countries.
You may have a point with the steel dispute (though I still maintain the EU acted like petty children, even if they technicaly wern't doing anything illegal by taking advantage of their trading partners like that), but protecting and shielding nations that fish inside Canada's EEZ is utterly inexcusable. If Europeans want Canadian fish, they can buy it from us on the open market; the EU's economic clout should even allow you to buy it at favorable prices. Nothing gives EU countries the right to effectively steal it. It's not our fault you overfished your own waters to depletion.

The EU may be good for Europe in some ways, but it certainly isn't good for anyone else (not that I'm saying it has to be good for anyone but Europe), but since I live in one of the EU's rival economic zones, I have no reason to like the EU at all.

I live quite close to Whitby (UK)
Which is actually the direct namesake of Whitby, Ontario.

[bigboywooly]

The EU is only strong for a small number of the old members

The rest can whistle as far as the EU gravy train is concerned

:down:

[Tchocky]

The EU is only strong for a small number of the old members

The rest can whistle as far as the EU gravy train is concerned

:down:

Disagreed. Irelands recent prosperity is due in some part to EU Structural Fund payments, and of course the euro helps.

[bigboywooly]

Disagree again

Yes it helps out new members
As it promises to when it allows entry

Romania and Bulgaria will benefit hugely as did Poland

Notably the French get more out than they put in with every subsidy they can

Old guard