From: abraham@iesd.auc.dk (Per Abrahamsen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic,soc.culture.europe,eunet.politics
Subject: Re: Pros and Cons of EU (was Re: Increasing EU opposition in Denmark)
Date: 4 Apr 92 15:55:15 GMT
	<1992Apr3.204709.4897@nntp.hut.fi>
Organization: HUGIN Expert A/S


>>>>> On 3 Apr 92 20:47:09 GMT, jkp@cs.HUT.FI (Jyrki Kuoppala) said:

Jyrki> My hunches about pros and cons of let's say Finland joining EU:

I took the liberty to divide your arguments into four categories. 

* Economic:

All the Nordic countries will be part of the EES (the economic union),
whether or not they join the EU.  As a part of EU, you should find it
easier to influence the economic union.

Pro> - better possibilities for well-educated people to choose jobs
Pro>   - easier to move around EU countries
Pro> - it is claimed that it would boost our economy by offering a big
Pro>   unrestrained EU market
Pro> - no loss of EU paper industry market to Sweden (assuming Sweden
Pro>   joins EU), same for other export industries
Pro> - less bureocracy in trade to EU countries
Pro> - possibly more investments from abroad to create jobs
Pro> - better possibilities for offspring companies abroad
Pro> - companies' position will get "better" relative to Finland today
Pro>   (tax treatment etc?)
Con> - we will have less of a chance to mind our own business
Con>   on environmental, geographical, foreign trade etc. matters
Con> - trade with Soviet Union, Japan and USA would not be our own
Con>   decision but dictated by EU
Con> - who would want to maintain production in Finland with equal
Con>   legislation elsewhere?  It's cold here, we're far away,
Con>   domestic distances are long
Con> - the burden of changing our legal/economical/customs/licensing/etc.
Con>   systems to match the EU one

* Social and culture:

The next arguments seems to assume that the European social and
cultural systems will be "averaged".  The competition in the ESS might
have such an effect on some areas, but not all those listed below.  I
don't see the public libraries, the womens positions, the educational
system, or your civil liberties being affected.  The EU might be able
to stop the worst effects of the competition.  Or it might not.

Pro> - better possibilities for well-educated people to choose jobs
Pro>   - probably better pay
Pro> - people in good economic position or well-educated probably will win
Pro>   in general
Con> - social security, health care etc. will inevitably be worsened
Con> - public library system would probably be worsened
Con> - women's position (I'm told it's one of the best of the world in
Con>   Finland) would weaken
Con> - social security things unconnected with work would probably be gone
Con> - education couldn't have better conditions for domestic students
Con>   than foreign - this probably is not a problem but might be if
Con>   Finnish system is a lot better than elsewhere (need to downgrade)
Con> - probable loss of individual freedom and civil liberties,
Con>   in general the "little people" will suffer

* Superpower:

The EU may or may not evolve into a superpower.  If it becomes a
superpower, do you want to be part of it, or merely allied with it?
Finland should know all about being located next to a superpower.

Pro> - we would have military power to defend against possible
Pro>   Soviet Union troubles
Con> - our independence would be gone
Con> - our neutrality (well...) would be gone
Con>   - actually there is a point to neutrality, I understand the point
Con>     to Finnish neutrality has been to stay out of superpower
Con>     conflicts (for a small boy it's reasonable to not get involved
Con>     when the big guys are fighting) and this seems reasonable
Con>     to me and we certainly can't stay out by joining a superpower
Con> - militiary union could force Finnish soldiers to fight wars
Con>   in some far corners of the war like USA does currently
Pro> - power would be moved away from our parliament (yes, many people
Pro>   actually seem to feel this is a good thing ;-), dunno what
Pro>   makes them think EU politicians would be any better)
Con> - the threat of totalitarianism resulting from a big, undemocratic,
Con>   centraliced government (look at the Soviet Union and USA)

* Misc:

Con> - billions to pay for poorer EU states

Do you really consider that a con?

Con> - added bureocracy (more languages etc.)

No doubt here!