Motion #02
In the wake of the UK’s withdrawal from membership of the European Union, and consequent upon many recent and less recent developments in the way that European institutions and collaborative organisations are run—including significant changes prompted by the influence of Green Parties across Europe and the urgency of climate action—the GPEW needs to update its policies, across the whole range of topics covered in the Europe chapter. This new voting paper incorporates (with minor revisions) some material passed recently at conferences since Brexit, including a policy statement passed in 2022, and motions passed in Spring and Autumn 2023, but most of the old chapter still remains on the books, including policies that are now forty years out of date.
This voting paper starts from the position we find ourselves in: a UK outside the European Union, but still seeking to cooperate with other countries in Europe across many projects that matter deeply to the Green Party of England and Wales.
The paper covers both relations with the European Union and other issues concerning Europe more generally. It considers a range of mechanisms that the UK can join, whether before or after becoming a member of the EU, and it reflects on how to build a consensus and heal divisions prior to seeking full EU membership. The paper respects the recent votes by the party to favour a position of rejoining the EU as soon as possible, providing that the political will to enable this to happen is clear on both sides, and providing that the situation prevailing in Europe is such that Green Party priorities would be furthered thereby.
Delete all of the existing Europe Chapter and replace it with the text below.
Make corresponding changes to other chapters of Policies for a Sustainable Society as set out in Annex A to this Voting Paper.
Part 1: Principles
EU100: The Green Party of England and Wales favours international collaboration in support of our work towards a world based on cooperation and democracy, prioritising the many, not the few; and not risking the planet’s future with environmental destruction and unsustainable consumption (See Philosophical Basis: “We believe that:…”). E
U101: We believe that participation in the post-war European institutions, which have ensured long-lasting peace, dialogue and unity of purpose across the nations of Europe, is one essential means of furthering the Green agenda at home and abroad. We are also committed to working with all the countries of Europe, whether they are inside or outside the European Union, to the same ends and in support of shared values.
EU102: We are committed to renewed UK membership of the European Union, and to retaining or recovering UK membership and positions of influence for our own democratically elected representatives in the EU, the Council of Europe and other key European institutions.
EU103: While the UK is outside the EU, the Green Party believes that co-operation with the EU should be the default approach in all policy areas. The British Government should follow the EU’s positive example in areas where the EU is taking a progressive approach, while moving faster where there are opportunities to do so.
EU200: The Green Party regrets that the UK is no longer a member of the European Union. We continue to believe that the UK would be in a better position politically, socially, environmentally and economically if we had maintained our EU membership. We recognise that a united international response to global issues is even more needed in the contemporary world.
EU201: The Green Party maintains that full membership of the EU remains the best option for the UK, and we are in favour of pursuing a policy to re-join as soon as the political will is present and terms are available that further the aspirations set out in this chapter and elsewhere in the GPEW PSS.
EU210: Many issues that concern the Green Party cannot be solved at the level of an individual state. Instead, close international co-operation is essential. That applies particularly to:
● Addressing the climate crisis, and decarbonising energy, agriculture and transport
● Protecting and restoring biodiversity, terrestrial and marine
● Peace, security and crime (especially international organised crime)
● Data protection, new digital platforms and new digital technologies
● Global health issues including future pandemics
Policy objectives where local action alone is not sufficient can be addressed more quickly, easily and effectively if we are inside the EU.
EU211: Rejoining the EU will enable us to influence and develop the EU’s policies to address issues across Europe that are key for the Green Party, including climate change and the EU’s Green Deal. It will give us a say in the development of EU standards, which are likely to become ‘de facto’ global standards. Rejoining will help us to catch up in those areas where the EU is ahead of the UK.
EU212: Rejoining the EU will improve the day-to-day life of people and businesses through free movement of people, products and services, which would reduce the extra administrative cost of doing business with our neighbours in the EU and avoid duplication of effort and cost in approval of new products and checks on compliance with standards.
EU220: For as long as the UK remains outside the EU, we support close political co-operation with the EU, and in particular working with the EU in addressing the twin crises of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss. We encourage close co-operation with the EU in support of European and global peace and security. We will seek to restore structured co-operation where this has been interrupted by Brexit, and where this supports action in line with the Party’s wider policy approach.
EU221: While we support the principle of subsidiarity, local supply chains, and strengthened local economies, we believe that the UK should mirror or improve on the legislative rules governing the EU single market and its standards on workers’ rights, health and safety, animal rights and environmental protection.
EU222: We commit to maintaining or rebuilding close and friendly relationships with our European neighbours through groups such as pro-European organisations, professional associations and twinning schemes. The Green Party of England and Wales is and will continue to be an active and enthusiastic member of the European Green Party.
EU300: The Green Party of England and Wales will support reforms that further strengthen the democratic accountability of EU institutions, and allow the European Parliament a greater role in scrutiny and oversight and the initiation of legislation.
EU310: The Green Party supports actions to encourage a stronger feeling of European citizenship and a better understanding of the role and structures of the EU through education, involvement in EU programmes (Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, etc.), language training, school exchanges, cultural exchanges and similar. A feeling of belonging to the UK, to individual nations and regions within the UK and to Europe should not be considered mutually exclusive.
EU320: A Green government would seek to communicate honestly with UK citizens concerning the role of the EU and the benefits that we get from membership.
EU400: We favour entering into a new customs union with the EU, which would ease problems resulting from the requirement for an internal trade border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a consequence of the UK’s departure from the EU. It would also reduce the bureaucracy, delay and cost of doing business with organisations and individuals in EU countries.
EU410: While joining the Single Market would provide benefits in terms of free movement of people, goods, services and capital, membership of the Single Market without membership of the EU would not be an ideal long term solution because the UK would not be a full partner in decision making processes.
EU420: All EU member states are in principle obliged to introduce the euro once they fulfil the convergence criteria. The Green Party wishes the UK to play a full part in membership of the European Union. However, there are many practical economic and political considerations and obstacles which would need to be overcome before the UK would be in a position to participate fully in the Economic and Monetary Union.
EU421: The Green Party of England and Wales believes that there is a need for reform of the Eurozone in order to improve democratic control and accountability and to reduce the risks of economic strains and imbalances within the zone. Reform should address:
• Providing greater flexibility for individual member state governments to raise money through borrowing or quantitative easing to fund urgent needs including green investment and emergency measures for example during a future pandemic;
• Refocusing the policy and the criteria of success of the Economic and Monetary Union and the European Central Bank towards social and environmental outcomes rather than growth.
• Replacing the Stability and Growth Pact with solidarity mechanisms to help the recovery of countries in financial need, rather than to penalise them and drive them into further difficulties.
EU430: The Green Party is committed to free movement of people. However, any decision to join the Schengen area following the UK’s return to the EU must be subject to careful scrutiny to ensure that it is in the interests of the UK and in line with our commitment to human rights, and must be made in consultation with the Republic of Ireland.
EU500: The European Union has taken some important steps to address the challenges of climate change, environmental degradations and biodiversity loss, including through the European Green Deal and the Environment Action programme, as well as the renewed Emissions Trading System. We believe the UK should match or exceed European standards in these areas, and wherever possible join in European initiatives aimed at rapid decarbonisation of our economies, protection and strengthening of biodiversity and a just transition to a low-carbon future.
EU501: We favour as full participation as possible in the European Environment Agency and the European Chemicals Agency and aligning dynamically with the regulations adopted in the EU.
EU502: The Green Party would work with the EU to protect nature and allow for nature recovery to at least international standards. This should include measures to protect species such as migratory wetland birds which migrate between the UK and other parts of Europe. It should also include protecting the unexplored areas of the Arctic and Antarctic (see PSS International Chapter), restrictions on deep sea mining, ending fossil fuel exploration and extraction and protecting the ocean floor and deep sea waters.
EU510: The Green Party believes that co-operation on energy issues at the European level is essential in order to guarantee energy security and to ensure a rapid and just transition away from fossil fuels. We will work with the EU and with European governments to facilitate and accelerate the introduction of renewable and sustainable energy sources and efforts to improve the transEuropean grid to ensure access to clean energy for all (see PSS Energy Chapter).
EU520: In line with the objectives of our Transport policy (TR 011), we will work with the EU and other European countries to support and develop low-carbon transport networks, standardised and accessible infrastructure for electric vehicles, supporting rail connectivity, and eliminating domestic flights and flights of less than two hours. We want to see the UK connected to continental Europe by frequent and accessible rail links including day and sleeper trains serving other UK cities as well as London.
EU521: The Green Party would seek to ensure that the UK is included in any Europe-wide integrated systems for booking travel through Europe and for Interrail, rail and sail, and other international rail pass systems. We support shared standards for accessibility across all forms of public transport and across borders. We would work to ensure that UK shipping and rail freight systems are integrated or compatible with the EU’s integrated cross-border freight transport documentation requirements.
EU530: While outside the EU, the Green Party supports co-operation towards the establishment of a food and agriculture system that is effective and sustainable in every sense (see PSS Food And Agriculture chapter) and land management that maximises the multiple benefits of land including the protection, regeneration and restoration of nature (see PSS Land chapter). Once the UK rejoins the EU we will support reform of the Common Agricultural Policy to these ends.
EU531: The Green Party favours co-operation with the EU and other European states to put fisheries on a genuinely sustainable footing and to restore marine biodiversity, in line with the policies set out in the Marine and Coastal chapter of PSS. We support efforts towards reform of the Common Fisheries Policy with marine protection in mind.
EU532: The Green Party would seek to negotiate a comprehensive sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU, involving dynamic alignment with EU SPS law, and, as a result, the elimination of all border controls on SPS goods.
EU600: The Green Party deeply regrets the impact of Brexit on education, research and development co-operation with the EU and its member states. Rejoining the EU would allow us to regain full membership of the Horizon Europe research programme on an equal footing with our European colleagues. In the meantime, we will continue to seek the best level of membership available to third countries. We favour a return to full membership of other educational and scientific programmes, such as Erasmus+. We do not regard the UK’s Turing scheme as a satisfactory replacement for Erasmus+.
EU601: The UK remains a full member of the European Space Agency, which is governed by an international treaty that includes some non-European states. We encourage the best possible contributions to the Earth Observation and Climate Monitoring services such as the Copernicus Sentinel series, and to the space safety, space weather, and navigation-related programmes such as Galileo.
EU620: The Green Party supports close co-operation across Europe on public health and health emergencies, including, while we are outside the EU, co-operating with the European Medicines Agency and with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). We would seek early agreement with the EU to join ECDC as an associate member.
EU630: The Green Party will require the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to maintain existing and new statistical data sets, series and models in line with European norms and requirements. We will seek to negotiate a statistics agreement with the EU, which involves dynamic alignment with EU statistics law, and full inclusion in all Eurostat statistical outputs.
EU640: The Green Party will restore or maintain the UK Data Protection laws to standards that are at least as high as EU standards and that will allow for the exchange of data with the rest of the EU. The Green Party will support and encourage co-operation with the European data regulatory authorities to develop new models of data protection to promote safety, transparency, honesty, and truthfulness in AI systems.
EU641: The Green Party favours rejoining Euratom to ensure cooperation with the Euratom nations on the procurement, use and disposal of nuclear materials. This is essential to ensure access to medical isotopes for healthcare, and for energy security while we still depend on nuclear reactors for power supplies. The Green Party favours free movement of professional technical and scientific experts and exchange of scientific knowledge across borders.
EU700: The Green Party supports close co-operation with the countries of Europe and with the EU in pursuit of peace, sustainable development and regional and international security. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
EU710: The Green Party supports the vision offered by the OSCE of an approach to common European security that can help prevent and solve conflicts by addressing the underlying causes, based on common values and a culture of participatory democracy and respect for human rights (see PSD 312 – 313).
EU720: The Green Party welcomes the establishment of the European Political Community (EPC) as a forum for dialogue and co-operation on matters of common interest to European countries, and supports the UK’s active participation in and engagement with the community for as long as it remains outside the EU and lacks sufficient other means of engaging with European partners.
EU730: The Green Party recognises that, working together, the EU can be an important presence in the international community, including through its support for international peace and security and for strong global action to address the challenges of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss. The Green Party supports co-operation between the UK and the EU to these ends. Furthermore, we would advocate the establishment of structured, treaty-based co-operation between the UK and the EU on foreign policy, external security and defence matters.
EU731: The Green Party supports efforts by the EU to reduce tensions and to support co-operative, negotiated resolutions to conflicts and potential conflicts. It also recognises the scale and significance of the EU’s international development programmes under the “Global Europe” instrument, and calls for the UK government to take full advantage of potential complementarities and synergies (see IP 250-261).
EU732: The Green Party believes that addressing the root causes of conflict is the best way to create the conditions for peace. Lasting security and stability cannot be built with weapons. Nevertheless, the Green Party recognises that a common security and defence policy can support the maintenance of peace, by pooling and sharing resources as well as coordinating national efforts at the European level. The Green Party therefore supports UK participation in projects under the EU’s Permanent Structured Co-operation (PESCO) where these are in line with the Party’s wider policies and will help to strengthen international peace and stability.
EU740: As a major shareholder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the UK should ensure that climate and environmental issues are at the centre of all that the EBRD does, and that the EBRD has environmental protection, enhancement and restoration stated as fundamental and primary objectives in its governing statutes.
EU750: In line with its International Policy (IP 240-248), the Green Party will seek to work with the EU and European governments to reform global trade, to
● promote environmentally sustainable trading systems,
● prioritise local production for local needs;
● prohibit the offshoring of greenhouse gas emissions and other polluting or destructive activities,
● outlaw the practice of avoiding obligations by way of carbon credit trading or offshoring waste disposal;
● support high standards of social and environmental responsibility globally;
● strengthen fair trade relations with low-income countries including mechanisms that give preferential access to UK and other European markets.
EU760: The Green Party supports police co-operation between the UK and Europe, including through Europol and Eurojust. International police co-operation should be accompanied by strong safeguards for individuals, effective democratic scrutiny and legal redress.
EU761: The Green Party will encourage the closest available co-operation with Europol, Eurojust and the European financial regulatory authorities to prevent, investigate, and prosecute cyber/internet crime and fraud.
EU770: The Green Party believes that co-operation throughout Europe is essential as we face the existential challenges of climate change and deep-rooted issues of social and economic justice.
EU771: The Green Party therefore, believes that any future development of European institutions, including possible enlargement of the EU, should serve the Green vision of a peaceful, cooperative democratic continent with high social and environmental standards.
EU772: We support further strengthening of constructive and supportive relations with Europe’s neighbours around the Mediterranean as they deal with the challenges of economic development and climate change and the demands of their young people for a better future.
EU780: The Green Party’s vision is for an undivided Europe, with countries inside and outside the European Union engaging peacefully and constructively in our common interests, and in which the use or threat of force has no place . We will support approaches that seek to overcome rather than entrench division in Europe in the long term.
EU801: Membership of the EU gave UK citizens rights and privileges associated with EU citizenship and also gave citizens of the other EU countries a range of rights to live, work, bring their families and enjoy access to jobs and healthcare in the UK. The Green Party welcomed these reciprocal rights and deeply regrets the loss of rights that now afflicts both UK citizens and citizens of other EU countries. Rejoining the EU would reinstate these rights.
EU802: While the UK is outside the EU, the Green Party of England and Wales supports action to ameliorate some of the particular problems that have arisen since Brexit, including but not limited to:
● A better system of certification for EU citizens and others with Settled Status in the UK, including provision of paper documents and a more user-friendly and transparent system;
● Accepting ID cards in place of passports for citizens of EU countries entering the UK for tourism, school trips, and language schools;
● Negotiation of a Youth Mobility Scheme similar to the one proposed by the European Commission in April 2024, making it easier for young people between 18 and 30 to study and work in the EU;
● Negotiation of a simplified regime for musicians and performers travelling for professional reasons between the UK and the EU, and an end to the 90-day rule for musicians;
● Reinstatement of reciprocal health care provision with all EU countries. EU803: This approach should be seen within the context of the global policy approach set out in the Migration Chapter of the Policies for a Sustainable Society, which advocates a fair and humane system of managed migration where people can move if they wish to do so.
EU900: The Council of Europe has an essential role in support of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. The UK should be a committed and active member.
EU901: The Green Party of England and Wales will ensure that the UK remains an active and committed member of the Council of Europe, which through its Conventions, its committees, and its facilitation of parliamentary and NGO exchanges plays a vital role in strengthening respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law across Europe. We will work to strengthen the effectiveness of the Council of Europe and its institutions, as a foundation of a fairer society throughout Europe on the basis of common values. We will support the continued development of the Conventions to ensure that they remain relevant in a changing world.
EU902: The Green Party is fully committed to the European Convention on Human Rights, which is the cornerstone of the work of the Council of Europe, and provides protection for fundamental rights and freedoms across Europe (see RR400-402).
EU903: The Green Party supports early completion of negotiations for the accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights.
EU1000: The EU referendum campaign exposed severe inadequacies in our democratic safeguards, and uncovered deep divisions in our society. It highlighted the growing inequality in our country and widespread unhappiness about the way that the country was being run. We reject the idea that these problems were due to the UK’s membership of the EU and reaffirm our commitment to policies that are designed to share wealth and opportunities more equally and fairly. The Green Party will work with others to heal our divided communities because genuine democracy requires a shared vision of the future we can build together. EU1010: To work towards the stable majority support and the political will that is needed for initiating accession negotiations, the Green Party will work with the European Movement and other pro-European organisations to build public understanding, to give a platform to leading progressive figures from Europe, and to take part in rallies and other events promoting the rejoin agenda.
EU1011: School curricula should include education about the European Union, about the history of its role in Europe, and about how it operates with respect to the laws, economy and trade of member states, and the opportunities and political rights that accrue to citizens of member states.
EU1012: Establishing the political conditions under which a decision to rejoin would be possible will involve a restoration of integrity in public life and respect for parliamentary democracy, on the part of the elected politicians, to win back the trust of the electorate and of the European Union.
EU1013: The Green Party favours the use of citizens’ assemblies to ensure that the electorate is in a position to make well-informed and well-judged decisions concerning complicated political issues such as our future membership of the EU. Binary choice referenda are not a suitable way to settle such issues. Our aim would be to build widespread public support as a precursor to the decision to rejoin.
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Last updated on 2024-09-08 at 15:20