“The announcement of a referendum on the UK’s membership in the EU is a chance for an honest debate in the UK. With British membership at stake, there will be a more fact-based discussion about the pros and cons of the country’s role in the EU and the one-sided coverage of the European Union and superficial “EU-bashing” in the British public sphere will come to an end“, said Jo LEINEN, President of the European Movement International (EMI). The EMI welcomes any development fostering a broad and fair public debate about European integration.

“I am confident that pro-European forces in the UK will be very vocal in the debate and not leave the field to the euro-sceptics of UKIP and that a strong European Movement will emerge. Not only British business leaders, but also citizens from all parts of society don’t want to lose the benefits of membership in the EU“, said LEINEN.

Petros Fassoulas, Chairman of the European Movement UK said that “the European Movement UK will continue campaigning and informing the debate around the benefits of EU Membership like it has been doing for years. With the support of mainstream politicians, business and all the social partners we are confident to win the argument”.

“The speech by David Cameron was clearly driven by British party politics and didn’t reveal anything new about the UK’s relationship to the EU“, commented Jo LEINEN. The speech’s purpose was to calm down the euro-sceptic backbenchers in the Conservative Party and the anti-Europeans of UKIP and not to find solutions for the challenges we’re facing in Europe.

The European Movement UK has published a letter in today’s Guardian newspaper, calling for and underlining the need of the UK’s future membership of the EU.

To read the European Movement UK Letter on the Referendum, please click here
[ENDS]
————————
Editor’s Note: The European Movement International (EMI) is one of the largest pan and pro-European civil society organisation with currently more than 75 Member Organisations, bringing together representatives from European associations, political parties, enterprises and trade unions.