I was just too young to vote in the referendum of 1975 but as a politically-aware sixth former I followed the debate and the arguments about whether the UK should stay in the European Economic Community (which the UK joined in 1973 (alongside Ireland and Denmark, swelling the original six members (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg) to the EEC nine)).
As I recently travelled across the USA I thought of the differences of climate and topography and of wealth and outlook between Montana and Virginia, and South Carolina and New York, and are these differences any the less than between Warsaw and Amsterdam, or London and Athens? New York to Los Angeles is much further than Dublin to Athens – the EU boundaries would have to be extended to Israel to compete with the scale of the USA. And yet Europe is divided into many small countries, many smaller than a decent-sized US State and with all the problems that collective decision-making confers.
Imagine going out for a meal with 26 friends and acquaintances and having to decide where to eat, what to eat and how much each of you should pay. That’s the type of challenge faced by the EU 27 with differences of language and culture thrown in too. Might it be that making any sort of decision under these circumstances tends to lead to decisions that avoid anyone’s best outcomes just as much as they avoid anyone’s worst outcomes?
But despite the frustrations of how the EU works, I feel I am European. The willow warblers and black-tailed godwits, the common terms and fieldfares, whose ranges ebb and flow with the pulse of the seasons do not recognise whether they are in Spain or Portugal, Germany or Poland. The boundaries of culture, language and politics which make our human lives more complicated are not ecological boundaries – they are not recognisable on the ground or as a flying bird looks down on the Earth below.
The wildlife of Europe is my nature just as the music of Mozart and Puccini is my music, the literature of Voltaire and Cervantes is my literature, the art of Bruegel and Miro is my art and the football of Real Madrid and AC Milan is my football.
Do you feel European?
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A timely piece, following on the heels of the ministerial Forest Europe conference, which pushed real progression beyond the boundaries of the EU to include 46 independent state for realising sustainable forest management. The short stretch of water seperating the UK from Europe is not enough to counter the threats faced by our natural heritage and it is shameful that the Eurosceptic sneering so prevalent in UK politic and media opinion allows for the easy dismissal of progressive policies (and the costs incurred) towards our natural heritage by UK central government.
Even if the Euro gravy train and the overly bureaucratic can be held up to critcism, one cannot but admire the fact that it does holds its members to account and in order for Malta to join it was forced to tackle the sorryful ‘shooting’ of all migratory birds that passed through its air space.
Thanks Pip – I agree and, Mark, I see myself as European too, and I’m thinking about LIFE funding’s contribution in this country – while I was with Fc it paid for massive habitat restoration in the New Forest, Mires in Northumberland and limestone pavement in Cumbria – really big progress for nature.