What are your thoughts on the European Union?

[binary solo]

fory77 said:

VGC is now an island off the coast of Europe. The EU, ever hungry for more members, insists we get annexed join. A referrendum for membership is now taking place. Will you vote NO! or YES! ? 

In other words, i'd like to know your thoughts on the EU and if you'd give up your independece like your country to join/stay. I encourage serious discussion and stating of opinions. No fighting.

Wikipedia says:

The European Union (EU) is a politico-economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area, passport controls have been abolished. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries, and regional development.

Personally, i'd vote NO!

Unless you actually meet certain socio-economic conditions the EU won't ask you to join, and even if you want to join they will tell you to bugger off until you have sorted some things out. So your entire premise is false. The EU never compelled any country to join, every country that's joined has done so because they have all percieved a much greater upside to being in the club than the downsides. And the countries that haven't joined are either unwanted by the EU because they don't pass muster, or they have not liked the downsides so have remained independant (Norway, Switzerland etc), and the EU hasn't done anything to force them into the union. And even with those countries they've had to sign treaties to agree to implement all EU regulations for any goods and services that will be exported to EU members and all interactions with EU members that are subject to any Eu regulations. So in effect their relationship to all other EU countries is no different to if they were full EU members anyway. 

As it stands now though, it's hard to argue the case that it would be particularly beneficial to join the EU formally rather than have a treaty / agreement situation a la Norway and Switzerland.