Any future UK assessment of the costs and benefits of any future accession of a country to the EU would depend on a number of factors including the budgetary impact of any new accession, the benefits that enlargement can bring in terms of increased opportunities for trade, cooperation against organised crime and greater political stability in Europe. The impact of accession of any new countries to the EU upon the EU\u2019s budget would depend on the relative wealth of the new Member State. Wealthier Member States would be additional net contributors to the EU budget while less wealthy Member States, would be net recipients. We support the focus of the European Commission on the need for economic convergence to be a central element in the accession process of any candidate country.<\/p>
The economic element of the Copenhagen Criteria \u2013 the rules that identify whether a country is ready to join the EU \u2013 provides that, to join the EU, a candidate country must become a \u201cfunctioning market economy and have the capacity to withstand competitive pressures and market forces within the Union.\u201d<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-10T15:01:11.5989723Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "EU Enlargement"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what stance they intend to take on the accession of any new countries to the European Union in respect of such countries' ability to be net contributors to the European Union budget.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/950", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} ], "uin" : "HL2464"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100041", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100041/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to reforming the EU to the benefit of all Member States, to make it more competitive, democratically accountable and fair for those inside and outside the Eurozone. Political parties have set out their position on the question of the appropriate exercise of competence in the EU. The Government\u2019s policy is clear: we need an EU where decisions are taken at the right level, with issues best left to member states decided at the national level. We have already shown that such reform is possible: cutting the EU budget; ending the UK\u2019s bailout obligations; cutting red tape in line with Business Taskforce recommendations; ensuring our fish stocks are managed regionally rather than centrally, agreeing three major Trade Agreements and launching trade talks with the US.<\/p>
Support for EU reform is growing: this summer, the President-elect of the European Commission committed to explore improving the interaction between the Commission and national parliaments, which he recognised have a key role to play in enforcing the principle of subsidiarity; to completing the internal market in products and services; to creating the right regulatory environment and promoting a climate of entrepreneurship and job creation; and to working for a deal that \u201caccepts the specificities of the UK in the EU, while allowing the Eurozone to integrate further.\u201d The European Council also recognised the need for reform. It concluded in June that there was a need to protect the right to free movement from \u201cmisuse or fraudulent claims\u201d and that \u201cthe concept of ever closer union allows for different paths of integration.\u201d<\/p>
The Government\u2019s proposals for EU reform will continue to respect the UK\u2019s obligations under the existing Treaties.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "HL2246"} , {"_value" : "HL2249"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-03T15:07:43.5838293Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "European Union"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they plan to repatriate powers from the European Union; and if so, which powers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/950", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} ], "uin" : "HL2247"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100043", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100043/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to reforming the EU to the benefit of all Member States, to make it more competitive, democratically accountable and fair for those inside and outside the Eurozone. Political parties have set out their position on the question of the appropriate exercise of competence in the EU. The Government\u2019s policy is clear: we need an EU where decisions are taken at the right level, with issues best left to member states decided at the national level. We have already shown that such reform is possible: cutting the EU budget; ending the UK\u2019s bailout obligations; cutting red tape in line with Business Taskforce recommendations; ensuring our fish stocks are managed regionally rather than centrally, agreeing three major Trade Agreements and launching trade talks with the US.<\/p>
Support for EU reform is growing: this summer, the President-elect of the European Commission committed to explore improving the interaction between the Commission and national parliaments, which he recognised have a key role to play in enforcing the principle of subsidiarity; to completing the internal market in products and services; to creating the right regulatory environment and promoting a climate of entrepreneurship and job creation; and to working for a deal that \u201caccepts the specificities of the UK in the EU, while allowing the Eurozone to integrate further.\u201d The European Council also recognised the need for reform. It concluded in June that there was a need to protect the right to free movement from \u201cmisuse or fraudulent claims\u201d and that \u201cthe concept of ever closer union allows for different paths of integration.\u201d<\/p>
The Government\u2019s proposals for EU reform will continue to respect the UK\u2019s obligations under the existing Treaties.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "HL2246"} , {"_value" : "HL2247"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-03T15:07:43.6741542Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "European Union"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether, in the light of recent comments by Mr José Manuel Barroso, they will publish details of what powers they consider can be repatriated from the European Union to the United Kingdom which would not be illegal under the existing treaties.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/950", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} ], "uin" : "HL2249"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }