Britain in EUrope- The view from the FCO

Britain in the EU - Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Where do we stand on Europe?Read on to find out about the British coalition Government's approach to the European Union.

'Active and activist' from the beginning
The British coalition Government will be a positive participant in the European Union. Foreign Secretary William Hague summed this up by saying that the British government would be ‘active and activist, positive and energetic’ from the beginning’

So what does this mean in practice?It means that we’ll play a strong and positive role with our EU partners, with the goal of ensuring that all the nations of Europe are equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century, in particular, global competitiveness, global warming and global poverty.

Accountable to British peopleIt also means that the British Government wants to be accountable to British people for what it does on their behalf in the EU.

As William Hague mentioned when summing up his remarks during the European Affairs Debate "We will play our role [in Europe]with enthusiasm while vigorously advancing our country’s interests."

This means we'll be firm in the defence of British interests. However, we don't believe there is a contradiction between championing the interests of the UK in the EU, and seeking to play a constructive role in making the EU work better.

So, we’ll be working together with the EU on trade, on the single market, on economic growth, delivering real benefits for Britain and British people.

More detail on our prioritiesOur top priority will be to boost economic growth. Working with European partners we want to equip the EU to compete globally in the 21st century keeping people in employment and creating new employment.  First and foremost, that means promoting the single market and developing our trade links.

Another important priority for us is helping Europe make the transition to a Low Carbon Economy. We seek to work with partners to speed up efforts to ensure a low carbon energy and transport infrastructure, and low carbon trade, thus establishing the EU as a global leader.   

You can read the Minister for Europe’s strategic overview on UK priorities during the Hungarian EU Presidency here.

The EU BillOn the 25 April 2010 Her Majesty the Queen announced 22 new pieces of legislation, put forward by the new British coalition Government. Amongst these is the EU Bill. This piece of legislation will ensure, that in future, Parliament and British people will have their say on any proposed transfer of powers from the UK to the European Union. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is leading on the preparation of this legislation. On Monday 13 September, Minister for Europe, David Lidington published a Written Ministerial Statement(WMS) which provided an update on preparation of the legislation.