Why we should stay in the EU: A guide for Young Professionals
Reasons to vote REMAIN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE Brits paid less to use their phones on holidays in Europe last year thanks to EU laws We benefit from up to 6% higher income per capita because we are part of the internal market Better MOBILE NETWORK Cheaper SHOPPING No more roaming charges From June 2017, roaming charges will be scrapped completely across the EU, so you ll no longer be charged extra abroad. Plus, future proposals seek to give you access to online content such as Netflix and BBC iplayer when you are abroad. If the UK is excluded from these common policies, you could end up out of pocket if you use online, mobile and streaming services abroad or you may not be able to access them at all. It is cheaper to buy goods from across Europe You can shop from your favourite retailers across the EU thanks to the internal market. Greater competition and wider choice across borders result in you paying less at the checkout. British goods could become uncompetitive in the EU, which has knock-on effects for our economy. Trade barriers following Brexit could lead to income losses of between 3.1% and 1.1% of GDP.
We can travel freely and cheaply across Europe Currently we are able to travel across the EU without visas or work permits, resulting in less bureaucracy and fewer queues. Europe s open skies have reduced air tariffs, allowing low cost airlines to flourish, so we now have cheaper flights to multiple destinations. Easier TRAVEL Visa fees, long queues and extra costs even if you are only going away for a short weekend. Without the EU s deregulation, cheap airlines such as easyjet would not have been able to offer low fares to a wide range of destinations. We benefit from health research and shared services Air fares have decreased by 40% since open skies laws were introduced Greater HEALTH Britain is the largest beneficiary of EU funding for health research with current areas of focus including cancer research and mental health. Cross-border research with other universities and institutions would become more expensive and difficult. Access to healthcare for Brits travelling in Europe would no longer be free. Stephen Hawking and other scientists have stated that a Brexit would be a disaster for science and medical research
ECONOMY & JOBS Better ECONOMY We are able to attract investment and create more jobs Businesses set up in the UK because of the excellent skilled workforce but also because they have access to the single market. Foreign investment means more jobs for British people and economic growth. We also have the pick of the best talent from across Europe. Benefits of EU membership are in the region of 62-78 billion per year Under a bilateral free trade agreement we would no longer contribute to the EU budget, but we would lose our EU subsidies and our trade with the internal market is expected to decline, resulting in an estimated annual 36 billion black hole in the UK s budget.
Increased TRADE We can trade freely with the world s largest economy The EU economy is bigger than the US or China and our businesses can access the single market free of charge. Exporting goods is simpler and cheaper, which means our businesses thrive. Want to expand your business? Europe is on your doorstep. It would take years to negotiate a deal to retain access to the internal market (without also agreeing to free movement of people). During this time, UK trade with EU countries is expected to fall by about a quarter. Over 50% of our trade is with EU countries and 3-4 million UK jobs are linked to EU export Easier for START-UPS Broader CAREER OPTIONS You can grow your million pound idea across borders As an EU citizen you can set up a business in any member state and you can protect your intellectual property across the EU, rather than having to seek protection in every single country. UK start-ups would lose access to the single market a much needed source of revenue and investment for small businesses. Many UK businesses offer overseas training and secondments Being an EU citizen makes it easier to apply for jobs and opportunities in 27 other countries. Having this option allows you to broaden your professional network and enjoy an exciting and varied career. We would lose our automatic access to one of the world s largest job markets, limiting cross-border career opportunities and development for young professionals. EU law makes it quicker, easier and cheaper to register a communitywide trademark No work permits or visas are required for secondments to another EU office
SAFETY & SECURITY The BMA says EU requirements on working hours and breaks have benefited doctor and patient safety in the NHS Europol carries out over 13,500 cross border investigations each year Stronger RIGHTS Better SECURITY We get improved rights and guaranteed protections EU law gives us more rights at work and protects us against discrimination, guaranteeing equal treatment of men and women when it comes to pay, training opportunities and more. Consumer rights mean products are of the same high standards no matter where they are made or sold across the EU. Legally untangling the UK from the EU could potentially take as long as a decade. No country has ever withdrawn from the EU and no one knows what will happen to EU rules that have become national law. Eventually, key workers rights could be drastically reduced. We are safer if we tackle terrorism together Terrorism doesn t stop at borders. Europe allows us to face common threats together by sharing security information with other EU countries. UK police forces share real-time intelligence on cyber-crime, terrorism and other cross-border crimes through Europol. Coordinated responses to security threats and violent acts could become more difficult. Without the European Arrest Warrant, it would be harder for the government to track down criminals who have fled the UK.
We prosper when relations with our neighbours are strong Greater PEACE We re living in challenging times of economic and social unrest. That s exactly why the European Union was created: to promote peace and stability for all. Issues such as the migrant crisis are more effectively dealt with through a coordinated approach. A Brexit would have serious socioeconomic consequences for many EU countries, threatening security and stability at home and abroad. We are more effective tackling global issues together Tackling climate change at European level allows for cooperation and coordination amongst member states, as well as greater opportunities to set global environmental standards. The government is under pressure from the EU to reduce air pollution, but these incentives would fall away after Brexit, making it harder to pursue greener policies. 28 countries acting together to provide aid at EU level can save over 4 billion in economies of scale each year Cleaner ENVIRONMENT After violating EU air pollution limits five years in a row, the UK was ordered to take steps to reduce its emissions
Debunking EU Myths The EU has too much influence over UK laws Brussels is inefficient and a waste of money UK government and British citizens play an important role in EU law making. Our government voted in favour of over 90% of all EU legislation between 2009 and 2012 We have also secured opt-outs from laws we don t want, for example; so that we can keep the pound and control our own borders Handed down by Brussels is really just a way of saying negotiated and agreed by the UK The European Commission only employs about 30,000 persons; a similar amount to Leeds City Council. The UK central government employs 400,000 people The UK s net contribution to the EU was less than 1% of government expenditure in 2014 Important trading partners such as the US prefer negotiating with the EU instead of dealing with individual countries exactly because it is more efficient. President Obama said: The UK would not be able to negotiate something with the United States faster than the EU
The European Convention on Human Rights, its Council and its Court are separate from the EU The ECHR was incorporated into UK law in 1998 The government has indicated that it has no intention of leaving the Council of Europe Leaving the EU would therefore have no effect on the role played by the ECHR in UK law The European Court of Human Rights keeps meddling in the UK s affairs Britain is an integral part of Europe, and we mean to play our part in the revival of her prosperity and greatness (Winston Churchill, speaking in 1949) Brussels churns out too many rules and regulations It s a legal principle that the EU can only make laws in areas where a goal cannot be sufficiently achieved by individual member states at national level Many EU rules, for example around the internal market, actually reduce the regulatory burden on businesses by having a common set of rules The EU isn t perfect, but neither is UK government; reforms can be made if we stay
If you want to run the EU, stay in the EU. If you want to be run by the EU, feel free to join us in the EEA (Nikolai Astrup, spokesperson for the Norwegian Conservative Party) Britons are the biggest beneficiaries of EU free movement laws: between 1.4 and 2.2 million British people live in other EU countries more than any other nationality Freedom of movement within the EU helps address skill shortages and the consequences of an ageing population The largest category of migrants in the UK come from non-eu countries (e.g. Australia) and our ability to restrict their entry has nothing to do with EU law Britain will have to take in even more migrants The UK could become like Norway The British economy, heavily reliant on our financial services industry, is very different from the Norwegian economy Although Norway trades with the EU, it does not have the benefit of full access to the single market In return, Norway has to comply with EU legislation regarding the single market, without having any formal say in making these laws It still has to make a substantial contribution to the EU budget and accept free movement of people
Who are we? We re a group of young professionals who want to spread the word of the campaign to remain in the EU amongst young people (and the young at heart). Why? Because we believe that the interests of our generation, more than any other group, are best served by remaining in the EU. Now is the time to get involved! The aim of this document is to remind you how the EU benefits you in your everyday life. Join us below. What s your EU story? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn! Received compensation for cancelled flights, thanks to EU rules? Taken an overseas placement with work? Have you benefited from the EU in any other way? We want to hear from you: RGRI Facebook: www.facebook.com/remain-great-remain-in-1540285936296677 RGRI Website: http://www.remaingreatremainin.co.uk/ RGRI Twitter: @RGRI_UK #youngprofessional #strongerin YLN LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8448163 YLN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/younglawyersnetwork This report was written and produced by Jenny Leahy, Damian Allinson and Darren Jones, with thanks to others in the Young Lawyers and Remain Great Remain In network for their research and assistance.