Why is the EU always telling us what to do?

It doesn't - unless it is something we agreed to do in the first place! The EU is simply a place where we meet with our neighbouring countries in a set of institutions to thrash out common solutions to common problems. This includes jointly managing - and setting the rules for - the single European market. It also includes trying to agree to speak with one voice towards the rest of the world to maximise our influence.

Isn't it run by bureaucrats?

 No, the European Commission only has the power to propose (and to carry out what has been agreed). Decisions on policy and European legislation are taken by the Council (composed of the elected governments of the member states) and the European Parliament (composed of MEPs directly elected by all European citizens). In any case, the European Commission is relatively small - despite dealing with the whole of Europe, it has fewer employees than Manchester City Council!

Why was the EU set up?

The European Union (originally the European Community) was set up after the war to create a structure which would oblige the countries of Europe to work together for peace and prosperity. Every generation from the fall of the Roman empire to the Second World War fought each other on the battle fields of Europe:the time had come to find a better way. Besides this idealistic reason, there was the sheer necessity of dealing with the growing economic, environmental and political interdependence of European countries.

Isn't it becoming a centralised super state?

The EU can only deal with the subjects laid down in the Treaties. These can only be changed with the unanimous consent of each and every national Parliament, including our own. Even within these limited areas, no significant legislation can be approved without the agreement of the Council which is composed of national Ministers who are members of national governments and accountable to national parliaments. As an additional safeguard, EU legislation is also scrutinised by the European Parliament who you chose in direct elections. The system is not centralised nor is there any danger of that happening. The results prove it: the EU budget is a mere 3% of public expenditure - 97% is national or local. As mentioned above, the EU Commission is tiny. Some super state!

Couldn't we leave the EU and deal by ourselves with the wider world, or even join NAFTA?

 Nearly 60% of Britain's exports are to our EU partners. We export more to Holland alone than to the whole of the Commonwealth. We sell four times more to the EU than to the USA. It is essential that we take part in the EU in order to fight our corner and defend our interests in the making of the rules that shape the single European market.

What about the European Court?

Why can't these un-elected judges impose rulings on us?

The judges are appointed by the Governments of the Member States (not the European Commission) to rule on disputes concerning the interpretation of European law. They do not make laws. As one former (British) President of the court said: "the judges do not take political decisions, but they must sometimes remind politicians of what they have agreed". The Court is, in fact, essential for ensuring that everybody abides by what they have signed up to. If a country fails to do so, like France over British beef, it can be taken to court - something that does not exist in most classical international organisations and makes the EU special. It is indeed this legal system that has ensured that all bar one EU country now accept British beef whereas, for instance, the overwhelming majority of Commonwealth countries do not - but in the latter case there is nothing whatsoever we can do about it.

 Britain is a low tax country. Isn't the EU going to force us to raise taxes?

Each member state fixes its own system and levels of taxation. The EU treaty only provides for harmonisation of indirect taxation if every single country agrees to do so. Even joining the single European currency contains no obligation whatsoever to modify our tax rates or change our system. That being said, there are areas where it might be advantageous to Britain to have a harmonised system: how many thousands of jobs and millions of pounds have been lost to Britain's brewing industry, for instance, by people loading their vans in Calais with French beer because their VAT and excise duty on alcohol is lower? Different rates of indirect taxation in a single market can cause distortions and this should be looked at on a case by case basis.

Aren't we simply different from the others?

Yes - and so is every other country. All have their different languages, cultures, histories and laws. No one has gone into the EU in order to lose their identity. The EU contains no majority language, group or culture - we are all minorities. There is no threat to these identities in the loose system that is the EU - after all, Scotland and Wales have kept their identities for centuries even in the highly centralised UK system. Some people do feel that they are European, but this is usually as an addition to their national identities. It is perfectly possible to support England in football, Britain in athletics and the European golf team in the Ryder cup.

Isn't the EU suffering from a democratic deficit?

EU legislation must be approved by the elected national governments meeting in the Council and, in most cases, by the directly elected European Parliament as well. This double scrutiny means that draft legislation must pass two hurdles to become law - but these are two safeguards as to the quality and acceptability of European legislation. Where there is room for improvement is in the few areas where Council alone can adopt legislation without it also requiring approval by the European Parliament. This is an anomaly which should be corrected.

What about the single currency? What about it? We can join if we want to and it will be up to the British people to decide in a referendum.

Aren't MEPs overpaid?

MEPs are paid exactly the same salary as a member of their own national Parliament, and are paid from their own national Treasury. They obtain from the European Parliament an allowance of similar size to that received by MPs from national Parliaments in order to run their office. They obtain travel expenses to enable them to travel between their constituency and the Parliament. Until a few years ago, travel expenses were reimbursed without due verifcation that a journey had actually been made. This was rectified and proof of travel must now be supplied. The European Parliament works all year round with a recess of a month in August and two weeks at Christmas (compared to the nearly three month recess of the House of Commons).

Isn't the European Parliament elected on a pathetically low turnout?

The turnout of 50% (Europe wide) in the last European elections compares favourably with the 38% turnout for the last US Congress elections, but unfavourably with the turnout levels for national elections. As European elections are less important than national elections, it is normal that they have a lower turnout, just as regional and local elections do in most countries.

Written in conjunction with Richard Corbett MEP 2 Blenheim Terrace Leeds LS2 9JG