MEP launches report supporting Welsh EU membership
Today Plaid Cymru Jill Evans MEP launched a report ‘EU Membership: Benefits and Challenges for Wales’. It is the first of a series of papers Jill Evans is publishing in advance of the UK referendum on EU membership.
The report says that Wales is a net beneficiary of EU membership. We get more money from the EU than we contribute towards EU membership.
The report documents the financial benefits to Wales from the EU between 2000 and 2013, which amounts to about £9 billion, or £2,400 per person.
The two major funding streams were the Structural Funds (£4 billion) and the Common Agricultural Policy (£5 billion). There were also smaller sums from funds supporting learning, research, technology, cross-border cooperation and improving infrastructure.
Annually 600,000 people participated in some form of European support programme, with 200,000 gaining qualifications. More than 30,000 jobs were created. Wales also received millions for research and development from which universities and businesses benefitted.
Jill Evans MEP said: "Numbers tell only part of the story of course. EU funding has had an impact on environmental protection, fighting climate change, better roads, town centre and community development and arts and culture, as well as creating jobs and developing skills.
"But if we are to have an open and honest debate on EU membership, we have to base that on the facts. In this case the fact is that Wales is a net beneficiary of EU membership. It has brought real and substantial change to Wales and benefitted our economy.
“I have always worked for EU reform, but not the kind of reform the Prime Minister is seeking. I believe in a true Europe of the peoples which puts people at the heart of its policies, protects our rights and values and helps build a just society. This is the social Europe for which Plaid Cymru works with its partners in the European Parliament. I will be publishing further reports outlining the changes we will be calling for from the EU during this crucial debate.
"I will be inviting comments or responses to this report from organisations and individuals and will publish a summary of those in due course."
