Eu Quotes & Sayings

Of course the EU and member states must work to ensure that people moving from one country to another understand their obligations and their rights in areas like health, road safety and further education. — John Bruton

If the euro zone doesn't come up with a comprehensive vision of its own future, you'll have a whole range of nationalist, xenophobic and extreme movements increasing across the European Union. And, frankly, questions about the British debate on EU membership will just be a small sideshow compared to the rise of political populism. — Nick Clegg

The EU lacks a story. For previous generations, the peace argument was a sufficient. But what story do I tell my 20-year-old son? How do I explain to him that we need the EU for the future? — Margot Wallstrom

Europe needs an engine, and the Franco-German motor has provided that when the two nations have converged on important topics during critical periods. But that partnership shouldn't be a directorate for other EU members. — Francois Hollande

Unlike other countries, we're not skeptical at all when it comes to EU expansion. In fact, we are in favor of admitting Ukraine and Turkey. In this sense, one can hardly say that we are focusing unilaterally on our own national interests. Austria, for example, has held up the negotiations for Turkey's admission to the EU. Why am I against deeper involvement in the EU? There are several reasons for that. — Lech Kaczynski

Talks have reached a critical stage and negotiators need to reach a deal on agriculture in the next two weeks if efforts to restart the Doha round by the end of the year are to succeed. Some speak of a deadlock in the talks, .. I prefer to talk of a padlock, and the key is in the hands of the EU. — Celso Amorim

Czech Republic is an important part of central Europe. It's clear that we must participate in European integration. I am convinced that the Czech Republic - or, in the past, Czechoslovakia - would have been one of the founding members of the EU if it hadn't been for the communist takeover in 1948. — Vaclav Klaus

A jolt is necessary. Europe must reaffirm it values of freedom, solidarity, peace. The EU must be understood and controlled by its citizens. I will do everything to secure profound change rather than decline. — Francois Hollande

If the EU and the US can cooperate successfully on regulating financial markets, everyone else will follow. — John Bruton

Mr. Gunt, Mr. Neal here is a street survivor. We at the airline are honoring the homeless this year, and it was our airline's privilege and delight to offer him the one remaining business-class seat as a token of our faith in the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. With the full authority of the EU air-system code behind me, I order you back to 67E. — Douglas Coupland

What else has changes since 1984? Oil's running our, I say Earth's population is eight billion, mass extinction of flora and fauna are commonplace, climate change is foreclosing the Holocene Era. Aparteid's dead, as are the Castros in Cuba as is privacy. The USSR went bankrupt; the Eastern bloc collapsed; Germany reunified; the EU has gone federal; China's a powerhouse- though their air is industrial effluence in a gaseous state - and North Korea is still a gulag run by a coiffed cannibal. p 500 — David Mitchell

The EU is an unique project that replaced war with peace, hate with solidarity. Overwhelming emotion for awarding of Nobel prize to EU — Martin Schulz

Since January 1993 there have been 27 other countries not in the EU that have done better than the UK at exporting goods into the single market. — Boris Johnson

New EU embassies lack the expertise in the field of culture and given the budget cuts in all Member States it is important to confront this challenge together. — Pierre Vimont

The views of the European Union are fully reflected in this text, particularly the key objective of the EU, namely vigorously to address the disarmament of Iraq and to do so within the framework of the UN Security Council. — Javier Solana

There is a growing frustration that the EU is seen as something that is done to people rather than acting on their behalf. And this is being intensified by the very solutions required to resolve the economic problems. — David Cameron

When Turkey began approaching the EU, I wasn't the only one who worried that the dark stain in Turkey's history - or rather the history of the Ottoman Empire - could become a problem one day. In other words, what happened to the Armenians in World War I. That's why I couldn't leave the issue untouched. — Orhan Pamuk

More than 50% of significant new regulations that impact on business in the UK now emanate from the EU. — John Hutton

But we need to show that the EU can modernise itself, can adapt to the needs of its citizens, can take their views into account. That will be our ambition for the UK Presidency. — John Hutton

Leaving the EU isn't the answer to Britain's problems. — Sadiq Khan

EU expansion is, unfortunately, continuing without a constitution, as a gradual process of standardization - and that's far more dangerous. It is very difficult to slow down this process, which is being pushed forward without significant public participation. — Vaclav Klaus

The EU Kids Online project is the most theoretically informed and methodologically sophisticated study we have on the issue of risks in the new electronic environment. This book is rich in details and insights that greatly advance our understanding. — David Finkelhor

What we should be doing in the EU as a whole is more economic integration in the single market, rather than less. — Nick Clegg

There are fifty American states, but they add up to one nation in a way the twenty-eight sovereign states of the European Union never can. Most of the EU states have a national identity far stronger, more defined, than any American state. It is easy to find a French person who is French first, European second, or one who pays little allegiance to the idea of Europe, but an American identifies with their Union in a way few Europeans do theirs. This is explained by the geography, and the history of the unification of the United States. — Tim Marshall

We are a great country, and whatever choice we make we will still be great. But I believe the choice is between being an even greater Britain inside a reformed EU or a great leap into the unknown. — David Cameron

My vision is that our country should be integrated in the EU, to transfer a part of our independence there. It is also our duty to do it, if we want to establish trade and a sound economy. This is the vision that I am working on and I will continue to work in the future. — Ibrahim Rugova

When people stand up and talk about the great success that the EU has been, I'm not sure anybody saying it really believes it themselves anymore. — Nigel Farage

Within ten years 80% of our economic legislation, perhaps even fiscal and social as well' would come from the EU. — Jacques Delors

Matt Le Tissier had firm views about Austria's reluctance to allow Turkey full membership of the EU last Saturday, I seem to recall. — Jeff Stelling

Israel being condemned by the EU, which 66 years ago watched with glee as its Jews were being mass murdered. That is pretty rich. — Ben Stein

As James Heartfield, author of The European Union and the End of Politics, noted, to follow such events is to 'Step through the looking glass into the EU-world where the rule of the people is dictatorial, but the rule of unelected experts is democracy.'5 The — Mick Hume

Africa, in particular, has barely begun to exploit its renewable energy potential. Energy analysts say that solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass sources could more than supply the energy needs of every continent. The key is providing a favorable playing field, and that means financial aid, technology transfer, and training programs to assist developing nations, like the ones being advanced by the EU/AU partnership. — Jeremy Rifkin

The idea that the EU is somehow the guarantor of peace on the continent - that is in itself rash, in my view, and risks undermining the vital role of Nato. — Boris Johnson

I do not share the half-in, half-out attitude to the EU of some in Britain. Britain's place is in Europe. — Peter Mandelson

I genuinely believe the next leader has to be somebody who sees the opportunity of leaving the EU and is completely determined to deliver on what the people have told us to do. — Andrea Leadsom

The motivations to humiliate your adversary after pinning him down should not be the way to go. After all, the first rule in politics is to strangle your opponent without leaving finger prints. But for the US and the EU, this cardinal rule seemed to have completely escaped them. They have been all over the place trying to show Russia and indeed the rest of the world who is boss. — Smith Dempsey

Of course, no-one thinks the EU is perfect. In recent years, the pace of social reform has slowed. But staying in offers the chance to rebuild a vision of Europe for workers, regardless of the passport they hold. — Frances O'Grady

If Turkey become a member of the EU, of course Turks would lose a part of this identity, just as Europe would lose a part of its own. It would also be a different Europe then. Accepting Turkey into the EU is an ambitious political endeavor of historical proportions. Europe would become a strong, multi-religious unit. — Orhan Pamuk

A two-speed Europe will not be a strong Europe. The idea of making decisions and policies in a narrow circle, disregarding smaller EU members, will make it hard to engage them to commit to a common policy, which will weaken the union. — Georgi Parvanov

I now realize this was out of fear: I feared that, like so many stones I have met, it would fail to dance. There was a small part of me that wanted the world to be a place where, despite planning officers and EU directives and policemen, a stone might dance. And — Terry Pratchett

When we said that no more areas of power should go to the EU we were right. And now thanks to the European Union Act 2011, by law that cannot happen without a referendum. And we are just as right that the EU has more power in our national life than it should, and I believe as strongly as I ever have that when the right moment comes this party should set out to reduce it. — William Hague

The entire EU has labeling for GMOs, and is simply saying let's let consumers know what they're buying, let's let them choose. I think it's a huge mistake by the food manufacturers of America not to be saying let's let consumers know. Let's let them know, let them decide. — Peter Shumlin

Pascal Saint-Amans, the OECD's top tax official, said the move was "very unhelpful" as it lumped jurisdictions that have signed up to global transparency initiatives together with holdouts such as Panama. He criticised the criteria as unfair, inefficient and subjective. The commission drew the "first pan-EU list of third-country non-cooperative tax jurisdictions" from blacklists provided by individual members. There were high numbers of offshore centres listed as unco-operative by some countries such as Greece and Italy, while others such as the UK, Germany and Sweden did not list any countries. — Anonymous

Yet in order to make sure the European social model keeps up with the pace of economic change that is now necessary, the EU must embrace a new approach to lawmaking. — John Hutton

In the EU, we agree that the pressures causing migration must be reduced. — Wolfgang Schauble

Greece is not a country that can be humiliated. It is a matter of finding an intersection between the reasonable elements of both sides [EU and Greece] which has to be done. — Jean-Claude Juncker

The EU must take on new responsibilities. And these new responsibilities call for intensifying the integration process. — Romano Prodi

The goal of the EU is to form a region of freedom, security and justice. Freedom in this connection cannot be just the freedom of the strong, but it must be combined with fraternity and equality. — Tarja Halonen

Given that Europe's legacy to the world consists in the two great goods of Christianity and democracy it is hardly surprising if the EU no longer has the endorsement of the European people, even if it has created a network of clients upon whose support it can always rely. — Roger Scruton

Stories are invented: Juncker wants to introduce the euro everywhere or immediately deepen the EU - although I publicly stated the opposite that same day. — Jean-Claude Juncker

Over the longer term, the institutions and powers of the EU will continue to expand and certain policymaking powers, heretofore vested in the member states, will be delegated or transferred to, or pooled and shared with EU institutions. As a result, the sovereignty of the member states will increasingly be eroded. — David Cameron

The EU will face problems similar to the US: an increasing gap between the citizens and decision makers in Brussels and a perceived or even real lack of democracy. — David Korten

There are about 15 million Muslims in the EU. They face ignorance, insult and even persecution. They cannot be wished away. To impose Enlightenment freedoms is self-defeating. Anyway, the Muslims have their own enlightenment. — James Buchan

Do whatever you want, as long as you say you want to be a part of Europe. And then you'll get away with anything. Look, the Albanians do God knows what. They sell weapons and women, they take hostages. And the world forgives then, as long as they're pro-Europe and pro-NATO. They'll forgive us, too. That's the trend in today's world. — Vladimir Lorchenkov

The delight of populists and the horror of the European Union, Switzerland voted in favour of quotas for EU migrants. — Anonymous

The economic crisis has weakened the EU for years. — Yanis Varoufakis

To be in the EU, it means to have same rules of ... for economy, for social life, to be together in the majority of European countries. — Aleksander Kwasniewski

With the EU taking in ten more countries and adopting a new Constitution, organisations need more than ever intelligent professional help in engaging with the EU institutions. — Nick Clegg

Fundamental questions are being asked about the future of the Eurozone and therefore the shape of the EU itself. Opportunities to advance our national interest are clearly becoming apparent. We should focus on how to make the most of this, not pursue a parliamentary process for a multiple choice referendum. — David Cameron

Whenever the debate moves on to hard numbers - our deficit with Europe, our surplus with the rest of the world, our Brussels budget contributions, the tiny part of our economy dependent on sales to the EU, the vast part subjected to EU regulation - Euro-enthusiasts quickly shift their ground and start harrumphing about influence. — Daniel Hannan

The [EU] Council of Ministers will have far more power over the budgets of member states than the federal government in the United States has over the budget of Texas. — Jean-Claude Trichet

The idea seems to be to use the next treaty talks to strike a grand bargain: Britain will be helpful to those states wishing to establish a fiscal union among themselves if, in exchange, we can amicably derogate from the aspects of the EU which we dislike. — Daniel Hannan

Keep harping on about how Europe's close to accepting you," the American ambassador to Moldova suggested coldly to the president, when the latter came to ask for a loan. "They'll grab onto that like a rabbit after a carrot. But I'm sorry. I cannot give you any money. — Vladimir Lorchenkov

My vision is to have an independent Kosovo, democratic, with a politically tolerant society and with a solid economy, integrated into the EU, the NATO and to continue with our good relations with the USA. — Ibrahim Rugova

The EU should have consolidated its different presences and purposes in Kosovo earlier. — Emma Bonino

The gospel is not advice to be followed; it is news, good (eu) news about what has been done. — Timothy Keller

If you want a more democratic EU, communication has to be among its core tasks. There should be a legal foundation for it: Fifty years after the founding of the European project, communication belongs in the constitution. — Margot Wallstrom

The U.S. couldn't even get rid of Saddam Hussein. And we all know that the EU is just a passing fad. They'll be killing each other again in less than a year. I'm sick to death of all these fascist lawsuits. — Bill Gates

We have a legal system, and this is not something that happens all the time. We have capital punishment. America has capital punishment. Iran has capital punishment. Iran hangs people and leaves their bodies hanging on cranes. Iran put to death more than a thousand people last year. I don't see EU reporting on it. — Adel Al-Jubeir

Now Europe are experiencing a wave of eroding solidarity, first of certain societies and then entire governments. At the same time, we have two giant new challenges to meet: the migration movement and terror. And then Great Britain is thinking about leaving the EU. That should suffice as a description. — Martin Schulz

Imagine a German as president of the European Commission. If he or she goes to some particular country and says do this or that, it won't be very well received. The president quickly ends up being the evil German. But if the president is elected by and controlled by 700 representatives from all EU countries, that legitimizes him or her in a very different way. — Martin Schulz

Turkey will "inevitably" join the EU in our lifetime unless we vote to leave. — Michael Gove

It horrifies me how much it costs to put on shows now, mainly due to EU regulations. The freedom to be entrepreneurial is no longer there. It's a massive business now. — Cameron Mackintosh

The West appears to have decided for the Ukrainian people what their choice is. The EU does not condemn violent actions in Ukraine which are punishable in the West. — Sergey Lavrov

One thing which frustrates me about state pensions is the disparity between EU countries. — Geoff Capes

Croatia did not want Europe to be divided as to the start of Croatia's EU entry talks. — Stjepan Mesic

The vast majority of Muslim residents of the United Kingdom voted to stay in the EU. And the balance of the British population voted to leave the European Union. — Rush Limbaugh

We've made clear our view, which is we support the Russian proposal. It's within the context of the EU diplomacy aimed at getting Iran to re-suspend its enrichment activities and return to negotiations. — Joseph Adam Ereli

As politicians we have to react to the fact that many people do not feel that they can relate to the EU. — Angela Merkel

Did we get anything like the sort of reform that would make the EU work better? No. Not even close. And worse, even with the certainty of a UK referendum following the negotiation, it is clear that there was no appetite amongst European leaders for anything more than a few minor concessions. — Andrea Leadsom

What is now the EU was set up so that France and Germany could hug each other so tightly in a loving embrace that neither would be able to get an arm free with which to punch the other. — Tim Marshall

An EU without Britain, without 1 of Europe's strongest powers, a country which in many ways invented the single market, and which brings real heft to Europe's influence on the world stage which plays by the rules and which is a force for liberal economic reform would be a very different kind of European Union. — David Cameron

The EU report speaks for itself. The statement in my view shows that the mission has turned out to be something worse than a farce, ... We shall in the coming days and weeks see what we can do to expose the pack of lies and innuendoes that characterise the garbage in this report. — Meles Zenawi

Water!' cried Marie.
'Vinegar!' recommended the bell-boy.
'Eu-de-Cologne!' said Bill.
'Pepper!' said Lord Tidmouth.
Mary had another suggestion.
'Give her air!'
So had the bell-boy.
'Slap her hands!'
Lord Tidmouth went further.
'Sit on her head!' he advised. — P.G. Wodehouse

Norway has a relationship with the EU which is very close. It has to accept most EU rules. It has to pay EU membership fees. It has free movement of people just like other EU countries, but it's not actually in the EU. — Tim Harford

Today, hundreds of millions dwell in freedom, from the Baltic to the Adriatic, from the Western Approaches to the Aegean. And while we must never take this for granted, the first purpose of the European Union - to secure peace - has been achieved and we should pay tribute to all those in the EU, alongside Nato, who made that happen. — David Cameron

My ideal world is, we're there, we're in the EU, trying to make it better. — Boris Johnson

Of course former colonial powers are always more present and influential. They're the ones who need to defend the EU's values on the frontlines. — Alvaro De Vasconcelos

We are not perfect. But we have doubtlessly fulfilled our obligations to the EU to a greater degree than the EU has its obligations to Italy, when it comes to the relocation or repatriation of refugees that are in our country. Italy does its homework better than the rest of Europe. Instead of the 160,000 migrants that were to be distributed across Europe, we are currently at 300. — Paolo Gentiloni

It is a mystery why any Americans would support the concept of the EU. — Phyllis Schlafly

The problem is that this round from its inception has had agriculture at its centerpiece. The EU and the U. S. and other WTO members cannot wish that away, that is a reality. — Rob Portman

It's wrong to focus only on economic cooperation and then to hope that a sufficiently stable system will become democratic more or less by itself. The EU needs to urge its neighbors to pursue both economic stability and political modernization in equal measures. — Alvaro De Vasconcelos

The EU is not a country and it's not going to become a country, in my view, now or ever in the future. It is a group of countries working together. — William Hague

But Iran has gone far beyond what is necessary for a purely civilian programme. It has concealed several nuclear facilities from the International Atomic Energy Agency, played hide-and-seek with the international community, and rejected all offers of co-operation from the U.S., the EU, and others. — Anders Fogh Rasmussen

The US was forced to withdraw troops from Iraq after an extremely costly decade-long military occupation, leaving in place a regime more closely allied to Iran, the US' regional adversary. The Iraq war depleted the economy, deprived American corporations of oil wealth, greatly enlarged Washington's budget and trade deficits, and reduced the living standards of US citizens. The Afghanistan war had a similar outcome, with high external costs, military retreat, fragile clients, domestic disaffection, and no short or medium term transfers of wealth (imperial pillage) to the US Treasury or private corporations. The Libyan war led to the total destruction of a modern, oil-rich economy in North Africa, the total dissolution of state and civil society, and the emergence of armed tribal, fundamentalist militias opposed to US and EU client regimes in North and sub-Sahara Africa and beyond. Instead — James F. Petras

Britain could make her own way in the world, outside the EU, if we chose to do so. So could any other Member State. But the question we will have to ask ourselves is this: is that the very best future for our country? We will have to weigh carefully where our true national interest lies. — David Cameron

The EU is the old Soviet Union dressed in Western clothes — Mikhail Gorbachev

The EU Constitution is something new in human history. Though it is not as eloquent as the French and U.S. constitutions, it is the first governing document of its kind to expand the human franchise to the level of global consciousness. The language throughout the draft constitution speaks of universalism, making it clear that its focus is not a people, or a territory, or a nation, but rather the human race and the planet we inhabit. — Jeremy Rifkin

The EU is mired in deep structural crisis. Greece, Portugal and Ireland cannot survive inside the Euro. — Nigel Farage

One of the foremost activities of the NSA's FAD, or Foreign Affairs Division, is to pressure or incentivize EU member states to change their laws to enable mass surveillance. — Edward Snowden