betterout - epetition reply
5 June 2007
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to start negotiations to leave the EU and to establish a free trade agreement with it."
Details of petition:
"The EU is now primarily a political entity and now has overarching control of our country's laws and ability to make our own choices."
Read the Government's response
The Government is committed to United Kingdom membership of the European Union as the essential mechanism to ensure continued peace and prosperity across the continent. By playing a leading role in the European Union, the United Kingdom can shape the EU's agenda in areas where citizens want to see effective European action and where cross-border cooperation is required - such as tackling climate change, promoting international development and targeting international terrorism.
The European Union is the world's largest trading bloc, with a single market of over 490 million consumers. This brings significant benefits to United Kingdom business and consumers. Our membership allows us to trade freely with Europe - for example, in 2006 British companies exported almost £150 billion worth of goods to European Union countries. We are able to help set a competitive, open and outward-looking framework for businesses to trade across Europe, in a way that we could not if we were outside the European Union, even if we negotiated a free trade agreement. Membership of the European Union also gives us considerably more collective clout at international fora such as the World Trade Organisation.
In short, the Government continues to believe that European Union membership is vital for the United Kingdom's future prosperity.
Further Information
Take a tour of Number 10