England is part of the EU.

[2dimes]

Though not the part with the "something starting with an 'S' that looks a bit like shenanigans, agreement" that means open boarder whith the other signatory countries.

And they still have their own currency.

Just doing my small part to help the other ignorant North Americans like myself who have been thinking only the countries with the Euro and whom are signatory to (let's call it here) the "S' agreement".

[Snorri1234]

Yay for news from 1973!

[2dimes]

I never heard of the EU here until just before the euro was adopted.

[Dancing Mustard]

Nice to know you're taking an interest in current affairs my man; but I think it's worth pointing out that the 'S' agreement is only a teeny-tiny part of the broader picture of freedom of movement within the EU (indeed it's pretty insignificant). It's just the treaty that deals with regulation of border controls; not the one that grants us our actual rights to free movement. You see, even if we were forced to show documentation at frontiers we still have the right as EU citizens to hop between member states without visas, to settle in pursuance of employment, establish business at will, and to claim benefits from the respective welfare systems that we find ourselves residing under. There's also our rights to freely transport goods, unfettered by tariffs or border controls; which I don't know if you'd heard about. All those rights (which are far more significant than all this Shengen stuff Napoleon Ier has been harping on about) are enshrined in the Maastricht Treaty. It's fascinating stuff, and it might be worth a quick read through a skeleton guide to it if you want to find out more about how freedom of movement within Europe works (and indeed, if you want to discuss it without being at complete cross-purposes with EU-Resident posters).


EDIT: I am also amazed that US/Canadian media didn't report about the EU until the Euro came about. The Euro is really small beer compared to the 'Four Freedoms' that the EU establishes between member states.

[b.k. barunt]

So does that give you more or less illegal beaners?


Honibaz

[2dimes]

There must have been a report on it in 1973. Unlike snori I wasn't watching the news then.

Thanks for the info, the part about making trade free between the countries is kind of important with respect of the origional discusion. As it stemmed from Jay comparing it to a potential comming North American Union thing in his very popular "must watch" thread.

Ta ta for now.

Oh "u r a poop"?

Can't forget that, you just wouldn't respect me if I left out something so important. Would you?

[Napoleon Ier]

Nice to know you're taking an interest in current affairs my man; but I think it's worth pointing out that the 'S' agreement is only a teeny-tiny part of the broader picture of freedom of movement within the EU (indeed it's pretty insignificant). It's just the treaty that deals with regulation of border controls; not the one that grants us our actual rights to free movement. You see, even if we were forced to show documentation at frontiers we still have the right as EU citizens to hop between member states without visas, to settle in pursuance of employment, establish business at will, and to claim benefits from the respective welfare systems that we find ourselves residing under. There's also our rights to freely transport goods, unfettered by tariffs or border controls; which I don't know if you'd heard about. All those rights (which are far more significant than all this Shengen stuff Napoleon Ier has been harping on about) are enshrined in the Maastricht Treaty. It's fascinating stuff, and it might be worth a quick read through a skeleton guide to it if you want to find out more about how freedom of movement within Europe works (and indeed, if you want to discuss it without being at complete cross-purposes with EU-Resident posters).


EDIT: I am also amazed that US/Canadian media didn't report about the EU until the Euro came about. The Euro is really small beer compared to the 'Four Freedoms' that the EU establishes between member states.

I harp on about Schengen because the discussion went that way, my good sir. Maastricht, Nice and now Lisbonne are all other supreme Diktats from GOSPLAN in Brussels are equally repulsive.

Vive La France Libre!

[Snorri1234]

There must have been a report on it in 1973. Unlike snori I wasn't watching the news then.

Well I wasn't born then. But really, there was no news about the EU before the euro?

[2dimes]

But really, there was no news about the EU before the euro?

I don't know, probably but none that I recall. The general public and media here started discussing EU when they were trying to move toward a common currency, I believe that was the euro. They also made it sound like the countries that adopted it were the only ones that are Europian Union.

Reports would commonly be worded "England refuses to adopt the EU's new currency." and that sort of thing.

So even though that doesn't say "England is not part of the EU." to me and probably others here it suggested it.

[Napoleon Ier]

England has managed to tactfully avoid (*sincere applause, who can blame them?*) any real commitments to the expanstionist EU

[Guiscard]

Its the UK, not England.

[MeDeFe]

Although England as a part of the UK is also a part of the EU.

[Napoleon Ier]

Its the UK, not England.

yes alright...lets not get too pedantic

[Guiscard]

Its the UK, not England.

yes alright...lets not get too pedantic

Yeh. Only 10 million people being left out... no problem.

[Napoleon Ier]

Its the UK, not England.

yes alright...lets not get too pedantic

Yeh. Only 10 million people being left out... no problem.

No but the point is I was reffering to the UK, as you well know, or the British state. Then highlighting that I used "England" instead as a term, the title having implanted this technical innacuracy into my subconscious, and given it is of little relevance to the debate, is simply pedantic and not pertinient to the progression of the thread.

[Guiscard]

Its the UK, not England.

yes alright...lets not get too pedantic

Yeh. Only 10 million people being left out... no problem.

No but the point is I was reffering to the UK, as you well know, or the British state. Then highlighting that I used "England" instead as a term, the title having implanted this technical innacuracy into my subconscious, and given it is of little relevance to the debate, is simply pedantic and not pertinient to the progression of the thread.

Err... hello ego, I was referring to the title of the thread in the first place. Did i quote you?

Its important because this seems to be an informative thread, not a debate. The sentence 'Just doing my small part to help the other ignorant North Americans like myself' gives us a bit of a clue

[Napoleon Ier]

fair enough. I concede.

[suggs]

All hail Ted Heath, greatest of post war British Prime Ministers!

[Dancing Mustard]

England has managed to tactfully avoid (*sincere applause, who can blame them?*) any real commitments to the expanstionist EU

I'm afraid that's just completely wrong. I mean, I'd debate it with you, but it's just a simple untruth. Sure, currency we don't do... but any 'real commitment'; come off it, what are you smoking?

Napoleon, I appreciate the fact that you have strong feelings about the EU, but if you're going to make sweeping statements about it would you please do us all a favour and back them up with factual evidence. At present all you're doing is misinforming people, and simply making things up off of the top of your head.

Good day.

[Dancing Mustard]

Oh "u r a poop"?

Can't forget that, you just wouldn't respect me if I left out something so important. Would you?

Good catch,
I forgot to call you a big fat girl in my original post as well, please forgive my omission.

You are a big fat girl.

[Napoleon Ier]

England has managed to tactfully avoid (*sincere applause, who can blame them?*) any real commitments to the expanstionist EU

I'm afraid that's just completely wrong. I mean, I'd debate it with you, but it's just a simple untruth. Sure, currency we don't do... but any 'real commitment'; come off it, what are you smoking?

Napoleon, I appreciate the fact that you have strong feelings about the EU, but if you're going to make sweeping statements about it would you please do us all a favour and back them up with factual evidence. At present all you're doing is misinforming people, and simply making things up off of the top of your head.

Good day.

ok it was a stupid comment, but face it they've weasled out of many key clauses of various treaties

[suggs]

Not really. The social chapter, ehich major negiotiated, was accepted by Blair, and Britain will join the Euro at some point.
THe fact is that the UK is a full player in the EU
Huzzah.

[Guiscard]

Not really. The social chapter, ehich major negiotiated, was accepted by Blair, and Britain will join the Euro at some point.
THe fact is that the UK is a full player in the EU
Huzzah.

QFT

[AndrewLC]

So does that give you more or less illegal beaners?


Honibaz

It's too far to swim

[2dimes]

I forgot to call you a big fat girl in my original post as well, please forgive my omission.

You are a big fat girl.

Love means never having to say you're sorry.