‘MOSTOFOUR LAWSCOMEFROMBRUSSELS’The House of CommonsLibrary estimates that just13.2% of British lawshave anything to do withBrussels.

This figure includeseverything that mentionsthe EU, even if it’s just a“passing reference” or adefinition, according tothe researchers.

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EUROMYTHSBUSTED

JUST

13.2%OFOURLAWS

HAVEANYTHINGTODOWITHBRUSSELS

The European Commissiononly proposes laws. It is thedirectly elected EuropeanParliament and the Council ofthe EU (governmentministers)that debate, amend andultimately pass Europeanlegislation.

The European Parliament hasthe role of confirming theEuropean CommissionPresident and can effectivelyveto Commissioners. TheParliament can also dismiss theCommission if it actsinappropriately.

Contrary to popular opinionthe EU is not the sprawlingbureaucracy thatmany believeit is. In fact, the EuropeanCommission has fewer staffthan some large councils in theUK. EU institutions are alsoreducing staff numbers by 5%to savemoney.

‘EUROPEANLAWSAREMADEBYUNELECTEDBUREAUCRATS’

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EULAWSAREDEBATEDANDADOPTEDBY

ELECTEDMEPSANDNATIONAL

MINISTERS

‘NORWAYANDSWITZERLANDENJOYALLTHEBENEFITSDESPITENOTBEINGEUMEMBERS’

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The Norwegian and Swissarrangements with the EU aredifferent, but these countriesmust pay into the EU and alsoabide by EU trade regulations- without actually being ableto influence any of them.

Norwegians make roughlythe same per capitacontribution to the EUbudget as Britons. If weadopted the Norway modelthe UK Government wouldstill be faced with up to 94%of the current costs of EUmembership, but we wouldhave no say in the law-making process, even if thelaws would harm Britishinterests.

NORWAY ANDSWITZERLAND

BOTH PAY INTOTHE EU, BUT

THEY HAVE NOSAY IN THE

DECISIONS THATAFFECT THEM

EUmigrants contribute moreto the UK exchequer in taxesthan they claim in benefits.Only a very small percentageof EUmigrants (5%) actuallyclaim unemployment benefits.

Economists at UniversityCollege London estimatethat EUmigrants contributedover £20bn to the UKeconomy between 2001 and2011.

‘EUMIGRANTSAREADRAINONTHEECONOMY’

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£20BNEUMIGRANTSHAVECONTRIBUTEDOVER

TOTHEUKECONOMY

‘THE EUDOESNOTHINGTOHELPORDINARYPEOPLE’

5Working people enjoy manyrights thanks to the EU. TheEU has ensured safe workinghours, introduced higherlevels of annual leave andextended parental leave. Itwas also the EU thatestablished the legal principlethat men and women shouldreceive equal pay for equalwork.

The EU has done muchmoreto make life easier for peopleacross Europe. Morecompetition in the air travelindustry means cheaperflights, EU holidaymakerscan get free or reduced ratemedical care with theEuropean Health InsuranceCard, it is cheaper than everto use your mobile abroad,and new food labelling rulesmake it easier to identifywhat’s in your food andwhere it came from.

THE EU HASENSURED

SAFEWORKING

HOURS,INTRODUCED

HIGHERLEVELS OF

ANNUALLEAVE ANDEXTENDEDPARENTAL

LEAVE

The EU is the world’s largestsinglemarket.Half of Britain’sexports go there, accountingfor some 3.5 million Britishjobs. The UK sells more tothe Netherlands alone thanto the whole of China.

Trade with the US oremerging markets in Asiais made easier by our EUmembership. The EU hasrecently negotiated a majortrade deal with Vietnam,and it is currently innegotiations for an EU-UStrade deal that could boostthe UK economy by billionseach year.

Labour MEPs will onlysupport trade deals thatensure transparency andprotect public services suchas the NHS.

‘OURMOSTIMPORTANTMARKETSARECHINAANDTHEUS,NOTTHEEU’

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THEEUACCOUNTSFORSOME3.5

MILLIONBRITISHJOBS

The European Court ofHuman Rights (ECHR) hasnothing to do with theEU. It is part of theCouncil of Europe - anentirely separateinstitution, with separatemembership, that was setup by Britain after theSecondWorld War.

The ECHR helps toprotect everyone andnot just the privilegedfew. Its rulings havehelped to advance LGBTIrights, improve childprotection laws, and evengive the victims of theThalidomide scandalaccess to justice.

‘THEEUROPEANCOURTOFHUMANRIGHTSFORCES ITSWILLONTHEUK’

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THEEUROPEANCOURTOF

HUMANRIGHTSIS THERETOPROTECT

EVERYONEANDNOTJUSTTHERIGHTSOFTHE

FEW

All EUmember stateshave their differentlanguages, cultures,histories and laws. No-one joins the EU in orderto lose their identity. Infact, the EU’s motto is‘United in Diversity’.

Margaret Thatcher saidthat being in Europehadn’t made the Frenchany less French and onthis she was right. Britainbeing a part of the EUhasn’t made us any lessBritish either!

‘THEBRITISHAREDIFFERENT’

8THE28

NATIONSOFTHEEU

CELEBRATETHATTHEY

ARE ‘UNITEDINDIVERSITY’

‘EU TOMAKECOWSWEARNAPPIES’

The Daily Mail cried “udder nonsense” when itreported on EU rules to ban cows from defecatingon Alpine slopes.

In fact, it is the story that is nonsense! The reportfocused on a publicity-savvy German farmer whofitted his cows with bovine diapers because, he says,cowpats constitute a fertiliser high in nitrates andare therefore outlawed by ‘barmyBrussels bureaucrats’.

There is an EU law on nitrates, dating back to 1991.It was introduced because excessive concentrationsof nitrates from fertilisers have been a major sourceof water pollution in Europe and can damagehuman health.

But the EU rules do not stipulate how EU countriesshould go about keeping nitrate levels under control,and they certainly don’t ban grazing animals fromdefecating on Alpine slopes or any other hillside!

BOGUSBANS

‘EU TOCUTOURCOFFEEINTAKE’

The Daily Express claimed that “Brussels is tryingto restrict the drinking habits of Britain’s coffeelovers” by cutting the amount of coffee we drink.

In reality, producers of energy drinks and otherproducts containing caffeine sought EU authorisationfor advertising claims about caffeine’s beneficialhealth claims. As part of the assessment the EuropeanFood Safety Authority analysed the safety of caffeineintake. It concluded that regular caffeine consumptionof up to 400mg per day would not raise safetyconcerns for most adults.

This was advice, not a proposal to regulate howmuch coffee people drink. It is inconceivable that theEU ever could, or would want to, restrict people fromdrinking as many cappuccinos or lattes as they like!

BOGUSBANS

‘EU TOBANBEACHES’

A Daily Mail article accused the EU of trying to “banour beaches” adding that “dozens of British beacheswill be off-limits for swimmers”.

In fact, the EU does not prevent anyone fromswimming anywhere, nor has the EU introducedany new bathing water laws. What the EU does dois highlight the quality and possible health dangersof waters where individuals or their families maychoose to bathe – categorising them as ‘poor’,‘sufficient’, ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.

The only change in EU bathing water law (agreed bythe UK government) is that it now gives a truerpicture of the long-term quality of the water, inorder to protect health and the environment. Forexample, authorities now have to inform the publicabout levels of E-coli and faecal streptococci inbathing waters.

After all, who wants to swim in sewage?

Produced in September 2015 with the use of European ParliamentInformation Money (400) by the European Parliamentary LabourParty/S&D Group in the European Parliament, Europe House,32 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3EU.

BOGUSBANS

‘EUBANSTOURISTPICSOFTHE LONDONEYE’

Press reports have insisted that the EU is about tolegislate to “ban” or “censor” holiday snaps offamous monuments and artworks andmake itillegal to upload them to Facebook or Instagram.

There is no such legal proposal on the table. Even ifthere were, it would require the agreement not onlyof MEPs but of a large majority of EU countries,most of which, like the UK, currently apply “freedomof panorama”. This principle allows anyone topublish, even for commercial ends, images of publicplaces, including the buildings and public artworkspermanently located in these places.

This story stems from a general review of EUcopyright law for the digital age. As part of thereview, an MEP proposed that freedom of panoramashould be stipulated across the EU. However, aEuropean Parliament committee disagreed andinstead voted that any commercial use should besubject to prior authorisation. But the EuropeanParliament as a whole quickly threw out thatproposal.

The European Parliamentary Labour PartyEurope House, 32 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3EUt: 0207 222 1719 e: info@eurolabour.org.ukwww.eurolabour.org.uk

BOGUSBANS