WALES would lose out if the United Kingdom left the European Union in the EU referendum. That was the message from one councillor at a meeting of the Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The committee met on Tuesday (Feb 2), to discuss the consequences of the EU Referendum on Pembrokeshire.
The UK government has committed itself to holding a referendum before the end of 2017 and at a previous meeting, councillors asked for a report on the potential impacts of leaving the EU.
It was felt that the referendum was important to people across Pembrokeshire while Cllr Keith Lewis said that Wales had ‘no option’.
Cllr John Allen-Mirehouse said: “Wales, as a predominantly rural area, would stand to lose out if the UK left.”
Councillors were shown a brochure which highlights many of the impacts of EU funding in Pembrokeshire in areas such as business and economy, tourism and heritage.
They also heard from the Council’s European Manager, Gwyn Evans, who said: “Simply, the best estimates that are available to us, these are not Council estimates, show that although the UK is a net contributor to the European Union, Wales itself is a net beneficiary and that’s partly due to the European investment which we see in Wales through the European Structural Investment Funds.
“To that end we have recently produced a brochure on some of the investments taking place in Pembrokeshire through the convergence program.
“I think it’s important to stress that the membership of the European Union is about more than money.
“It’s also important in facilitating training for example. The only observation I would make is that it is not clear that any of the benefits that we presently draw will be replaced by others should the British electorate decide to leave the EU in the referendum whenever it might be held.”
Cllr David Lloyd said that this was of importance to people across Pembrokeshire.
Cabinet Member for Economy and Communities, Cllr Keith Lewis added: “I was part of a WLGA (Welsh Local Government Association) group who visited Brussels and had the opportunity of speaking first hand to some of the elected representatives and the message that I gathered as far as Wales is concerned was that there was no option.
“Without European money there was very little scope for hardly any economic development and nobody could offer any guarantee that if Britain were to withdraw that the Westminster Government would make the deficit to areas like Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“That was the views of the elected members and they certainly saw this as the only game in town for Wales.
“The NFU have not come down in support or against the referendum and the feeling was, amongst the WLGA group, that it was high time that they did, especially the Welsh branch.”
Cllr John Allen-Mirehouse said: “We don’t know what the EU referendum is going to be. Is it going to be do we stay in or go out? We don’t know what we’re being asked yet. I certainly agree with the principle that Wales, as a predominantly rural area, would stand to lose out if the UK left.”
Cllr Ken Rowlands highlighted the report which stated that Welsh lamb exports had increased by £76m from 2003 to 2013 and added: “That says it all.”
Cllr David Pugh added: “We’ve got to realise that this is a short term benefit to Wales because in five years’ time the funding streams will probably change. We’re not likely to get the same level of funding when this round of funding finishes. With the expansion of the EU, the former eastern block countries going in, they will receive a net benefit but Wales will probably lose out.”
Gwyn Evans highlighted that the current round of funding would end in 2020 and added that they did not know what Wales was going to get after that.
It was also highlighted that the Welsh Local Government Association has given its support to the UK’s membership of the EU but councillors were told that their decision would not bind Pembrokeshire County Council into that.
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