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Paul Johnston

Ambassador to Ireland

Part of UK in Sweden

24th July 2013

What does the EU do for us?

Many people hold strong views about the Europe Union based on different perspectives about its role , but perhaps we don’t think enough, in the round, about the impact of EU membership and current EU rules and laws on the UK as a whole.

Therefore in July 2012 the UK Government launched the so-called “Balance of Competences” Review.

This is a two year project to examine the totality of the UK’s membership of the EU. Not a policy-making exercise, but an evidence gathering and analytical programme of work.

This week saw the publication of the first round of reports, covering areas such as the single market, health, development co-operation and humanitarian aid, foreign policy, animal health and welfare and food safety, and taxation.

Another three rounds of reports will issue before the end of 2014. Taken together, it will be the most extensive analysis of the EU’s relationship with the UK, or indeed any member state, ever undertaken.

Over the last six months the UK Government has been consulting extensively across the UK and with other EU Partners. We have listened to businesses, civil society and a range of organisations.

The first reports, drawing on this evidence, give a detailed picture of the effect of the EU’s competences (ie the powers the EU exercises in relation to member states). The initial reports have highlighted a number of the benefits that EU action brings, while also looking at some of the trade-offs and constraints it imposes. A number of themes are already emerging:

  • evidence of the economic value to the UK of being part of the Single Market, and of the UK’s important role within it, although views vary about whether the Single Market necessarily requires the current volume of EU-wide employment and social policy. Such questions will be explored in later reports.
  • tension between the case for EU-wide regulation and the scope for national flexibility. Harmonisation ensures consistent standards for British consumers. But the reports identify areas where harmonisation comes with costs, particularly for small businesses, and where giving space for more national flexibility could make sense. How to strike the best balance here will be a theme of our continuing efforts to secure better regulation as part of a more competitive, business-friendly EU for the future.
  • areas where collective action can be effective – from tackling public health issues, to co-ordinating overseas aid, to controlling animal diseases. But the reports also highlight areas where Member States need to retain national control –in taxation, for example, or in defence, where each Government has a veto on the launch of EU military missions.

We remain open to contributions from across the EU. Evidence has been published alongside the reports, with the aim of making this process as transparent and inclusive as possible.

There are still twenty-six reports to be written and I encourage you to send in any evidence that might be relevant. The opportunity to contribute to the next round of reports continues until next month. You can read the first batch of reports, as well as access more information on what and how to contribute to future reports here.

About Paul Johnston

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially. He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide…

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially.

He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide range of political and security roles in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Paul joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1993 as Desk Officer for Bosnia. As part of this role he was also Private Secretary to EU negotiator Lord Owen and his representative on Bosnia Contact Group.

His first foreign posting was to Paris in 1995-99 as Second Secretary Political. He was Private Secretary to the Ambassador and latterly part of the UK delegation to the Kosovo Rambouillet negotiations. Then he returned to London as Head of the Kosovo Policy Team, leading work on post-conflict policy in the EU, NATO, UN and G8.

Before his second overseas posting to New York in 2005, Paul held a variety of other EU policy and security appointments in London, such as Head of European Defence Section between 2000-01 and Head of Security Policy Department between 2002-04.

As Head of the Political Section in UKMIS New York, he advised on major policy issues for the UK on the Security Council and the UN World Summit, including the UK EU Presidency in 2005.

Paul returned to London in 2008 as Director, International Security for the FCO. He was responsible for policy on UN, NATO, European Security, arms control and disarmament, human rights and good governance.

Paul was British Ambassador to Sweden from August 2011 to August 2015 and then was Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO.

He was UK Ambassador to the EU for Political and Security affairs from 2017 to January 2020 and became Ambassador to Ireland in September 2020.