Britain's Future Prosperity and Security are Dependent on a Stronger EU The Chatham House Commission on Europe after Fifty, chaired by Sir Stephen Wall, has published a major new report on Britain's role in Europe - A British Agenda for Europe: Designing Our Own Future

The new report, A British Agenda for Europe: Designing Our Own Future, concludes that Britain's ability to deal with the principal external challenges of the 21st century will depend on its active participation in effective EU policies.

The report argues that, following the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, it would be wasteful if Britain were to fall back into its paralysing and perennial stand-off between Eurosceptic and Euroenthusiastic opinion.

Sir Stephen Wall, Chair of the Chatham House Commission, says: 'In this report, we have tried to analyse how best the British interest can be safeguarded and promoted. If we conclude that we can best do it by working with those of our European neighbours who share our political values that is a conclusion driven by hard logic, not soft love.'

The report also concludes that British thinking on many of the international challenges of the next decade - from combating climate change to dealing with a rising China - will evolve closer to its EU partners' views than to those of the United States.

No government, whether one of the world's major powers, an intermediate power like Britain, or a smaller state, will be able to protect the interests of its citizens on its own.

Therefore, a clear British vision that looks beyond the Lisbon Treaty at the range of risks emerging from beyond Europe's borders is essential.

THE KEY CONCLUSIONS OF THIS REPORT INCLUDE:

Britain should continue its leadership on EU enlargement

The EU should develop a formal pathway that could lead to enlargement negotiations with Ukraine. Ukrainian integration into the EU would further stabilize a European country that has great economic significance for the EU in a number of areas, including food production and energy transportation. Russia's efforts to reassert its influence over its near abroad make this especially compelling.

Further, there is an urgent need to accelerate EU planning on Georgia, provided it demonstrates full commitment to democratic norms, an open economy and the ability to take on the EU's legal structure.

The need to build a more integrated European energy market

Britain's energy picture will change radically over the coming two decades. As supplies of British North Sea oil and gas decline, increased imports of gas will have to come from Russia.

Britain should push for a more coordinated European energy strategy in order to be in a position to better handle Russia's dominant position within European energy markets.

The government's priority should be to help create a more physically interconnected EU energy market, integrating national electricity and gas grids and gas storage. This would lessen British and other EU countries' vulnerability to supply disruptions and also deliver considerable efficiency gains.

Britain should also promote the idea of EU members giving the European Commission the mandate to negotiate the terms under which outside suppliers like Russia secure access to EU energy import markets.

Using the EU to enhance Britain's domestic security

The island mentality which dominates the British debate on domestic security disregards the increasingly mobile nature of 21st century threats. Confronting a terror plot aimed at London but coordinated in Frankfurt and Calais requires Europe-wide structures and procedures for judicial, police and counter-terrorism cooperation.

Britain's arrangement to be able to opt in or out of current formal EU procedures in this area allows it the flexibility to pick and choose its areas of cooperation. In the future, however, there is the real risk that Britain will be excluded from certain enhanced areas of EU cooperation, as it is currently from the Schengen Information System.

Notes to Editors:

Read report: A British Agenda for Europe: Designing Our Own Future

Chatham House convened a Commission on Europe after Fifty: Policy Implications for Britain whose members would bring to the study a combination of different areas of individual expertise and experience on the European Union.

Commission Members >>

Sir Stephen Wall, chairman of the Commission, will be available for interview.

Dr Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House, will also be available for interview.