The Government believes that Britain should play a leading role in an enlarged European Union, but that no further areas of power should be transferred to Brussels without a referendum. This approach strikes the right balance between constructive engagement with the EU to deal with the issues that affect us all, and protecting our national sovereignty.
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We will continue to be an active and activist participant in the European Union, with the goal of ensuring that Europe is equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century: global competitiveness, global warming and global poverty.
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We will ensure that there is no further transfer of sovereignty or areas of power over the course of the Parliament.
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We have introduced a Bill in order to amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any proposed future treaty that transferred areas of power, or competences, would be subject to a referendum on that treaty - a 'referendum lock'.
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We have introduced a United Kingdom Sovereignty clause to make it clear that ultimate authority remains with Parliament.
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We will ensure that Britain does not join or prepare to join the Euro in this Parliament.
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We are strongly defending the UK's national interests in the EU budget negotiations and agree that the EU budget should only focus on those areas where the EU can add value.
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We are pressing for the European Parliament to have only one seat, in Brussels.
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We support the further enlargement of the EU subject to all candidates meeting the strict accession criteria.