18 December 2006
Europe Minister Geoff Hoon answered lots of your questions in the last of this year’s Downing Street webchats.
When asked about EU enlargement, Mr Hoon said there was a strong economic arguement for more countries to join. He said:
"A larger European Union has provided benefits not only for the new member states but also for business in the United Kingdom providing access to a much larger single market."
You can read all his answers below.
Read the webchat
Geoff says: Hello I’m Geoff Hoon, the Europe Minister. I am looking forward to answering your questions so lets get going.
gerard: What benefit would Turkey have from joining the EU? The only thing they cannot produce is OIL. Granted people in the country are on third world wages but could you justify the extra expense the country would have to find to come in line with the rest of europe and what benefit would they gain from doing so?
Geoff replies: We want to see Turkey as a member of the European Union because it would add a further 70 million consumers to the European single market as well as including an Islamic country in Europe.
Dawn Duffield: My question is on Turkey joining the EU.
Will it mean the possibility of Northern Cyprus returning to Greek rule?
If so what implications may this have on Brits living and/or owning property in Northern Cyprus?
Geoff replies: Turkey joining the European Union could and should lead to a settlement on Cyprus. It is the UK government’s view that the people of Cyprus need to find a secure and stable solution that would end division on the Island.
C.Z: When the Europeans took divided Cyprus into the EU, the EU must have realised that they were taking on the issue of reunification of the two halves of the island. Now the EU wants Turkey to act unilaterally to open its ports to Greek Cypriot shipping despite the Turkish Prime Minister’s public assurance to the Turkish people that such a thing couldn’t happen. What proposals are there other than these demands that could break the deadlock?
Geoff replies: It is important that Turkey accepts its obligations in European law which include opening its ports to the ships of all other EU countries, including the Republic of Cyprus. At the same time the EU has undertaken to end the isolation of Turkish Northern Cyprus. In the context of free trade in the EU it should be possible to find a way forward to achieve both of these objectives.
menya papadopoulou: Are you and the Prime Minister not at all concerned at the fact that European (and indeed british) public opinion is AGAINST any further enlargement (as also shown in the new EE Eurobarometer) and Turkey’s entry to the EU in particular? Whatever happened to the democratic idea of leaders listening to the peoples’ voice?
Geoff replies: The United Kingdom government has consistently supported the enlargement of the European Union. A larger European Union has provided benefits not only for the new member states but also for business in the United Kingdom providing access to a much larger single market.
Derek Green: The UK pays a massive amount of taxpayer’s money in to the EU budget. Why has a detailed cost benefit analysis never been carried out to assess whether we are getting value for money?
Geoff replies: The cost of our budgetary contributions offset by the British rebate is published each year in parliament. At the suggestion of the British government there will be a thorough review of the finances of the EU beginning in 2007.
John Pearson: Does this Government plan to introduce a more robust and positive attitude to educating the UK population, and schoolchildren in particular about the benefits and values of being a apart of the EU? It’s record so far since election has been lacklustre to say the least and the population know next to nothing about the huge benefits of belonging to such a increasinly powerful and necessary body. Please do not promise a referendum on a new Constitution to a largely EU- ignorant people.
Geoff replies: As part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome in March 2007, we hope to link up schools in the United kingdom with schools in other parts of the European Union to provide a real understanding for school children and students of how their counterparts live and work elsewhere.
Denis Cooper: It’s been reported that Margaret Beckett described the EU Constitution as a "grandiose project" which has failed, while John Reid has declared it to be "dead" - "a deceased, dead parrot". So what will be the response of the UK government if it is asked to sign up to the proposed Berlin Declaration on March 25th, if that Declaration calls upon EU Member States to complete the ratification of the Constitution?
Geoff replies: The Berlin Declaration will mark 50 years of the European Union as part of the German presidency beginning in January 2007. At the same time, but separately, the German presidency will be discussing with all member states a way forward on future treaty changes for the EU. These can only be agreed if all member states accept the changes.
j waldron: Why can we not start the system like Canada, USA, Australia and have green cards. Or at the very least not allow people to go straight on to social security the minute they walk through out border control. We need some sort of control on the hand out of money.
My husband is an electrician. In the building firms in Manchester where we, live lots of men in the trade being let go by the larger building companies and Polish workers are being given their jobs, because they are willing to receive less money. What guarantees do we have that their workmanship is up to UK standard. John has to go on courses which cost a lot of money to make him up to standard. Do the foreign workers. Or are they just signed off by the big companies and paid less money.
We cannot keep absorbing the amount of people being let in at the moment. Local people are already angry at loosing jobs to immigrants, who then receive subsidies from the government as well. We feel as though being in the EU is detrimental to the BRITISH people. We seem to loose out both ways.
Geoff replies: The government is committed to the introduction of identity cards that will go further than most other countries in providing a secure proof of someone’s identity. At each stage we have considered the impact on our labour market of enlargement. That is why we placed restrictions on the numbers of people who could come to the UK from Romania and Bulgaria.
Gerry Cooper: How many more countries can be accommodated in the EU?
Geoff replies: The UK is a strong supporter of enlargement but we believe that future decisions admitting new countries should depend on the particular countries in question.
R W Perry: How Sincere is the Minister in backing the UKs Climate Change Policies and Keeping its costs to an acceptable minimum per head for EU MEMBERS old, new or those about to become members.?
Geoff replies: Climate change policy has become a key feature of Britain’s foreign policy. It is vital that all member states play their part in improving our environment. That is why it is so important for Britain to be positively engaged with other European countries.
Dominic: What is the EU doing to ensure that it remains a competitive and economically strong region given the shift to Asia that is currently occurring?
Geoff replies: It is vitally important that the European single market looks outward to deal with the growing competition from the Far East. That means ensuring that the European market remains competitive and that we invest in research and development for new technologies and new products to provide employment for the futrue.
derek hardy: please explain the advantages of eu membership compared to non membership
Geoff replies: The key advantage of membership of the European Union concerns the access that our businesses enjoy to a single market of 460 million consumers. If we were outside the European Union our businesses would still have to comply with the rules but they would have no say in how those rules were drawn up.
Rakesh K. Mathur: One of your predecessor, Mr Keith Vaz was concerned about the minority communities of the European Union.
Could you please tell me if something is being done by your department in this direction?
Geoff replies: Keith Vaz has a very distinguished record in working with the minority communities of the European Union. I discuss these issues with him on a regular basis. There are growing opportunities to bring minority communities from across the European Union together to discuss matters of mutual concern. This happened recently in the European Parliament.
rob: Dear Mr Hoon,
As the EU approaches its 50th anniversary year, what do you think has been its greatest achievement to date and what will be the biggest challenge the Union will face over the next few years?
Geoff replies: I would suggest that there are three key achievements - making another war in Western Europe unthinkable - providing the former countries of the Warsaw pact with a target of EU membership and the creation of a single market of 460 million consumers. The biggest challenge the Union will face over the next few years will be reconciling continuing ecomonic growth with the challenge of environmental protection.
lisa walsh: Do you think we can reform our residential care settings for looked after children by taking notice of other European countries such as Germany and Denmark, where the majority of staff are highly trained with many being qualified social pedagogues working within the residential home?
Geoff replies: One of the great advantages of membership of the European Union is that we can learn from the experiences of other countries. We often face very similar kinds of problems and understanding how best practice develops elsewhere can help improve our own standards.
Rumyana Vakarelska: Dear Mr Hoon:
I will be probably filming a broadcast on Bulgaria’s EU accession during that time and might not be able to participate ‘live’, but can you please let me know why at least half of the British public does not know about the completion of the fifth round of enlargement?
Would you lile pro-European journalists and EU policy analysts to pro-actively help you supply EU politics info to the UK public, as the existing information delivery structures do not achieve its key goal, create a higher awareness of CEE?
What do you think Bulgaria will bring to the EU?
Rumyana Vakarelska, EU politics columnist and broadcaster
Geoff replies: It is important that information about significant developments in the European Union should be spread as widely as possible thorughout the UK. In particular the enlargement to include Romania and Bulgaria that will take place on the 1st of January is a further important edition to the European single market. By admitting two further former members of the Warsaw pact we are again helping to end divsions in Europe.
malachy foots: How high on your agenda are Earopean issues concerning people with disabilities and Britain’s ratification of Eurpean Directives on Disabilities
Geoff replies: The United Kindom supported EU legislation to end discrimination on the grounds of disability (based on United Kingdom’s own Disability Discrimination Act). We have strongly supported the planned EU Year of the Disabled which is to take place in 2007.
john foster: every one i know would love to leave the the EU why dont we have a referendom to prove this?
Geoff replies: The United Kingdom had a referendum on this question in 1975 and the British people voted to remain as members of the European Union.
steve martin: Does the Minster see the influx of immigrant workers from EU countries as a benefit or a hindrance to get UK citizens back to work & would he agree that some sort of Naturalisation Programme, should be introduced if the worker and or his family decide to settle within the UK?
Geoff replies: The free movement of workers in the EU is a basic right of all people in the European Union. People come to the United Kingdom to work but equally people from the United Kingdom can live and work in other European countries. That provides real benefits and opportunities for everyone in the EU.
Katherine Turnbull: Mr Hoon, I am a little concerned about muslim integration in Europe. How can we address the real issue at stake, which is that religious and secular values differ enormously, challenging the idealistic notion that multicultural and moral pluralism can work in a liberal democracy? Surely there is a need for a unity of values across all groups within a society, and if not can we really call ourselves a society at all?
Geoff replies: One of the benefits of the European Union is that a number of countries have minority populations and by working together we can address the various issues that arise. Sharing information and best practice with other liberal democracies can ensure that we maintain our multicultural society.
Keith Rowe: Why has the European Union never passed a law which states that each country within the EU appoints an MP who represents solely ex-pats or citizens of that country.
It would be a far better to approach this type of MP rather than approaching your MP from where you last resided.
With all modern technology it would be easier to question this type of MP rather than the present system. Also somebody like myself could ensure that all British citizens within my present country of residence where enlisted on the electoral roll rather than forgotten numbers. Think of the votes that are lost each election.
Keith Rowe
Geoff replies: We have made a great deal of progress in recent years in allowing ex-pats to vote in British elections. I can understand the argument about providing national representation for ex-pats but when someone chooses to live abroad it is right that they should be afforded the same represenation as other people resident in the same country.
Lucy Gilchrist: Minister, you mentioned earlier that UK business has benefited greatly from EU enlargement. Last week it was reported that the UK was the largest foreign investor in Bulgaria. Do you think that the recent media reports questioning the country’s preparedness to join the EU will have a negative impact on UK investment levels, going forward?
Geoff replies: I am confident that the latest enlargements to include Bulgaria and Romania will provide further opportunities for British business to benefit. There was a 41 per cent increase in exports to Bulgaria last year. I am sure that once they become full members of the EU on the 1st January this figure will go on increasing. That has been the pattern for previous enlargements.
Chris Stannard: Why is it that the U.K. end up taking all the eastern europeans and the illegals from other countries when the country cannot look after their own,who are born here and paid taxes cannot get the help.
Geoff replies: It is important that only those who are entitled legally to be in the UK can come here. We have detailed systems in place to ensure that only those who are legally entitled to be here can claim any benefits.
David Whewell: I work with young people, through the youth service, in Wiltshire and want to ensure that they understand the wider issues and implications of Europe. Can you suggest innovative and informal ways of working with young people that will help them gain this understanding, or can you suggest resources that I could use?
Geoff replies: We have worked hard to try and present European issues in an understandable way. For example, on the website there is a one minute guide to the EU which is both fun and informative.
John Holmes: Why have this government allowed people in from Poland and others with Bulgaria and Rumania to follow shortly without a quota when the NHS was overstreched before these were allowed in. It has streched the Police and other services that deal with immigration as well.The majority of the EU has opted to allow entry after 7 years.
Geoff replies: Free movement for people in the European Union is a basic principle of membership. It allows British people to live and work in other European countries. Many British people take advantage of these opportunities. It is right therefore that people from other European countries can come to the United Kingdom. We have ensured however, that for new member states, appropriate transitional rules are in place to ensure that our public services are not overwhelmed by new demands.
Chris Perver: With international pressure on Israel and the Palestinians to bring about a lasting peace in the Middle East, and the EU spearheading efforts in this area with the Spanish peace initiative - adopted by the EU last Friday, and proposing monitors be deployed in Gaza, in what sort of time frame are EU leaders expecting some sort of peace agreement to be in place by?
Geoff replies: It is important that the countries of the European Union play their part in helping to bring about a peace process in the Middle East. Over many years the EU has helped financially with the administration of the Palestinian authority, helping to provide the Palestinian people with the capacity they need to engage in real negotiations. It is important that we try and find a way back to a peace process which is why the Prime Minsiter has been in the region this week.
peter j franks: Now that the EU is 27 from next year, the size of the commission has got to be reduced. What is the government’s position on the future size of the commission? will we loose our commissioner after 2009?
Geoff replies: The size of the European Commission does not have to be adjusted until 28 members join. We therefore have some time to decide on the appropriate size of the Commission. It is important that the European Commission is both efficient and effective for the work that it does. That will determine the way in which the Untied Kingdom decides on any future changes in its size or composition.
Peter Waring: Why does the European Parliament waste money moving between Brussels and Stuttgart every eyar?
Geoff replies: The European Parliament moves between Brussels and Strasbourg as a result of a legal decision taken by the governments of Europe in 1992. We recognise the considerable costs involved in this proces but every government, including France, would have to agree if the European Parliament was no longer to meet in Strasbourg.
Goran Kotur: "The process of restitution of property that was confiscated during the Yugoslav regime continues to proceed slowly."
(The European Commission, Croatia 2006 Progress Report)
Is this issue likely to affect Croatia’s prospect of joining the EU?
Geoff replies: Croatia has made significant progress in its efforts to join the European Union. It must complete a long process of change and refom before it can be offered membership. These are amongst the issues that will have to be resolved.
Declan Harmon: Dear Mr. Hoon,
As a young Irishman with a belief in the European ideal, I am particularly interested in the future status of the Constitutional Treaty given the key role that our Taoiseach and government played in delivering agreement on the final text. How do you see this issue progressing in the short to medium term? Do you believe that Europe can continue to function effectively without a speedy resolution to the issue of the Treaty? To put it bluntly, how long can Europe skirt around progress on this, obviously fraught, issue?
I look forward to hearing your response and thank you for taking the time.
Merry Christmas,
Declan Harmon (Dublin, Ireland)
Geoff replies: The German presidency that will begin at the start of 2007 has indicated that it wants to find a way forward for institutional reform of the European Union. It is important however to emphasise that all 27 countries will have to agree to any further changes. There will have to be detailed discussions before any changes can be accepted.
Keith Cowan: Many of the recent accession states agreed to abide by the high European standards when they applied to join the EU. Some are not properly implementing their obligations, particularly in relation to protecting the rights of their gay citizens. What can/are we doing about this?
Geoff replies: It is obviously important that when a country makes reforms in order to join the European Union that it maintains the standard of those reforms afterwards. By becoming a member of the European Union a new member state accepts not only the legal rules of the EU, but also that there is an enforcement process both in national courts and ultimately at the European Court of Justice.
Marcia Simpson-James: Mr Hoon
I am very concerned about the question of immigration and the impact on the young, Black and ethnic minority communities of the UK. Ca you tell me what the government’s position is, (from the European perspective), on the matter of the effect of immigration on the life chances and employment prospects of British young people long term?
Geoff replies: One advantage for young people of membershiop of the European Union is that they can live, work and study in any other EU country. There is, for example, financial help to allow students to attend universities in other parts of the European Union.
stuartallen: Climate change is a great concern to one and all globally. What are the UK’s commitments to helping the environment?
Geoff replies: Tackling climate change is now a key aspect of British foreign policy. Working with other countries in the EU and beyond is obviously essential if we are to effectively protect our environment.
Dan Russell: What is being done to highlight the real benefits of EU membership for the UK?? The media, and press in particular, seem to have free reign when it comes to exaggerated and misleading ‘reports’ about migration, the economies of our neighbours, and what is deemed to be crazy legislation eminating from Brussels. Surely the Government could do a little more to re-dress the balance??
Geoff replies: It is important that people are given a balanced view of the European Union. That is why inforamtion is available about the EU from a variety of different sources including our own website which provides a good deal of information about the European Union and what it does.
Dr. Helene Pritchard: What is your atitude to the proposal that certain core features of the EU constitution , including voting provisions, should be agreed in a "mini- treaty"?
Geoff replies: During the German presidency we will be discussing possible ways forward in relation to the Constitutional Treaty. This is one idea that has emerged. It will be necessary for all member states to agree on what should happen. Not all member states as yet agree with this proposal.
mike warnes: Given that the majority of key national policies are now developed , or at least heavily influenced, at the European level (competition, consumer law, energy, the environment, etc) do you think that, in general, Whitehall Departments are good enough at engaging with Europe at a strategic level? If not, what should civil servants and Ministers do differently?
Geoff replies: It is increasingly the case that all government policy has an EU dimension. That is why government departments work both domestically and in Europe to ensure that best interests of the British people are protected and enhanced.
Lavinia: We hear a lot about Turkey’s human rights violations, but how do they compare to the rest of Europe?
Geoff replies: Part of the process for Turkey joining the European Union will involve them bringing their own law and protection of human rights into line with the standards of the European Union. This is one of the real benefits for countries joining the EU.
mike thompson: I agree with the introduction of Turkey to the European union but what about the comments coming from Germany which is making this issue a choice between the Uk and Germany France etc.
On Climate change cant we make it a condition of future agreements with Europe that people sign up to energy saving as our actions would have the smallest of impacts on the world issue. Make local target setting for each county an issue and this will bring communities closer with action.
Geoff replies: At the recent European Council there was an agreement both on tackling climate change and promoting renewable sources of energy and new energy technologies. It is important that the countries of Europe work together to provide security in energy supply.
Carol G: Do you see the European Neighbourhood Policy as an important part of the EU’s future security?
Geoff replies: Together with enlargement the EU’s neighbourhood policy ensures that we work closely with our immediate neighbours in Europe. The neighbourhood policy is an important part of extending the security of all European countries, including the neighbourhood countries themselves.
Geoff says: Thank you for all of your interesting and challenging questions. I hope that you have found this as interesting as I have. With very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, Geoff Hoon.
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