OK, in the election thread several people have come out in favour of the European Union, others are against it. So, where do you stand?

I used to be fairly sceptical about the EU, but the more I look into it I find more stuff to like.

I love a lot of the Directives and Regulations that have come out of Europe.

In general I find "Europe" has a much better attitude in regards to freedom & civil liberties, especially the European Parliament (Who were the ones who voted against the "Three strikes" rule for ISPs etc).

I generally get better responses out of my MEPs and subsequently the Commission than I get out of Westminster. They don't tend to patronise me either.

I love the freedom of travel I get in the EU, and the fact that I could pack-up tomorrow and live and work in Italy with no trouble whatsoever. To this end, I want the United Kingdom to join the Schengen area.

Of course the EU isn't perfect, I'd like to see reforms. At the top of my list are increased democratic accountability and permanently basing the Parliament in Brussels, instead of shifting between Brussels and Strasbourg (hence I back the "one seat" initiative).

Oh, and before anyone says the magic words "Human Rights Act", the ECHR and the EU are completely separate.

I don't know enough about it to make a decision or form a proper opinion. I've certainly heard some good and bad stuff on both sides.

However, I really think that we should make our mind up and either go for it and do it properly, or pull out and be properly independent.

None of this one foot in each stuff, I think we should make a firm decision and stick to it. Of course, there should be a referendum on that, not just some ar*e-hole politicians deciding.

I'm not sure.

Being in Europe ought to be a good thing, but as we never get any sensible news coverage from over the Channel (probably because it's easier to report stuff from the US where they don't need to translate everything into English) it's hard to decide one way or the other.

I'd like our government to actually tackle the issue properly. The UK is not actually a world power any more, no matter what people would like to believe. I'm usually in favour of being inside the tent, p!ssing out, rather than outside p!ssing in.

I'm not sure what the EU would and wouldn't do for us.

My only gripe with entering the EU is that we would lose the Pound Sterling. I like it, I've grown up with it. The Euro sounds like some sort of imaginary currency.I don't care if we all the currency stiff spills over here, as long as it is called the pound and it looks like the pound, I'll be happy.

My view is incredibly materialistic, but it's the only one I have on the subject.

Leave the EU, but stay in the free trade thingy..... A bit like Iceland.
All of the benefits and none of the grief.

I believe it's a good thing, although there are a lot of things that need to be changed to make it more effective. Leaving it would be taking a step back.

Er, what? That situation would mean we have to obey all of the EU Directives and Regulations still (you have to if you want to do business with the EU), but won't have any say in how they're made.

In other words, all of the "grief" and none of the benefits...

I think we need to stay in the EU and having our say in how the directives are made/carried out is sensible. The one thing I don't want is to join the Euro, I hate the idea of all our monetary policy and finances being governed in Brussels by a committee of people, only one or two of whom actually live here, and although I have checked out the pros and cons, I just thing that is a step too far, especially since we can't get out of it in the future.

i don't mind one way or the other its just the fact we are sitting on the fence
if we fully join the EU we will live with it and go about our daily affairs
if we leave the EU we will live with it and still go about our daily affairs

if it came to a vote i would vote to join fully
but if the vote stated to leave the EU i would not lose any sleep over it

as of a change of currency i have already lived though that from the old £. s. and d. to the new £. and p.
(240 old pennies to the £ too the new 100 pennies to the £)

and to tell the truth i would not care if the currency was 'shirt buttons' as long as i had enough 'shirt buttons' to pay the bills and live on and for the most part i don't use cash its mainly my debit card …

More in, more in! I wouldn't be that fussed if we ditched sterling either. On holiday last week, I thought it daft that I had to worry about exchange rates and convert money and so on. Plus the bad exchange rate's seriously reducing the budget for redecorating our house in France.

No. You won't have to waste money on the common agricultural policy, obey stupid human rights laws, waste tax payers money on an extra layer of government etc. There's no issue with sticking to EU trade laws, but you can ditch the others. I hate how the EU commission (an unelected body) can tell elected governments what to do.
Obviously (as you say)the best thing to do would be to change how the EU works, but there isn't a cat in hell's chance of getting that to work.
All we ever seem to do is the EU is compromise. We give away rights just to stop them inflicting other laws on us. Why not pull out then we can do everything the way we want to.

Yet, in another thread, you say you will vote for a party which is openly Eurosceptic.

EU as a free trade common market yes.
EU as a federal super state No Effing Way.

Get rid of the CAP while there at it. Direct accountability for all levels of government (here and the EU).

The Euro mmm no on considered view point. The European Union is too large and too diverse in economies to properly maintain finacial stabilty for all. Well not without some countries flagrantly ignoring the s called "strict" rules.

We originally join the EU as part of a free trade thing. How we allowed ourselves to be dragged into the current law making Eurosuperstate is beyond me. It should go back to being a free trade organisation and end there.