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Whether and how EU collective action helps or hinders the UK in achieving its key foreign policy objectives and/or adds value to UK foreign policy
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Whether the EU’s priorities for its common foreign policy align or conflict with the UK's foreign policy goals, and how influential the FCO and UK Government are in directing EU common action
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How the UK’s standing in multilateral organisations (e.g. the UN, NATO, OSCE and WTO) might change if it were to leave the EU
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The impact, if any, that leaving the EU would have on the UK's foreign relations including, but not limited to, the transatlantic relationship, the Commonwealth, and relations with the BRIC countries
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The extent to which the UK could continue to participate in EU collective action on an ad-hoc basis if it left the EU, and the benefits and drawbacks of such an approach
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The international legal implications of a UK exit from the EU, including the scope and cost of renegotiating the international treaties to which the UK is a signatory as an EU member state (including the likelihood of securing favourable terms in such negotiations)
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The foreign policy implications of any changes to trade treaties resulting from a UK withdrawal from the EU
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The impact on other EU states and EU institutions of UK withdrawal from the EU
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The implications of leaving the EU for the Union (that is, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and their foreign policy consequences
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Whether and how EU collective action helps or hinders the UK in achieving its key foreign policy objectives and/or adds value to UK foreign policy
In cases such as the Russian or Iranian sanctions i do believe that the EU is capable of enhancing our foreign policy objectives. The caveats here are that EU governance is weak (Greece and Hungary engage with Russia) and that in many instances our goals do not allign.
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Whether the EU’s priorities for its common foreign policy align or conflict with the UK's foreign policy goals, and how influential the FCO and UK Government are in directing EU common action
I would say that while we have strong allies (France, Poland) the EU as a whole has a different set of priorities and all too often there are too many states who shirk responsibility or like Germany, refuse to do what they could.
Our ability to direct action is weak.
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How the UK’s standing in multilateral organisations (e.g. the UN, NATO, OSCE and WTO) might change if it were to leave the EU
Our position in the UN i believe would be weakened somewhat, especially if the EU continues to integrate.
Our position within NATO is weakening however that is because of a government unwilling to spend substantive amounts on defense, not the EU.
Our position within the WTO would likely be stronger. We could still align with the EU at times but we could also peruse our own goals.
Our position within the OSCE would likely be weaker.
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The impact, if any, that leaving the EU would have on the UK's foreign relations including, but not limited to, the transatlantic relationship, the Commonwealth, and relations with the BRIC countries
Our relations with the rest of the world would not be significantly enhanced or damaged with an EU exit.
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The extent to which the UK could continue to participate in EU collective action on an ad-hoc basis if it left the EU, and the benefits and drawbacks of such an approach
I believe it to be unlikely that the EU would refuse cooperation on a mirade of issues and therefore i see no downside to this except on issues where our priorities differ.
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The international legal implications of a UK exit from the EU, including the scope and cost of renegotiating the international treaties to which the UK is a signatory as an EU member state (including the likelihood of securing favourable terms in such negotiations)
While i believe that the UK should in theory have a weaker negotiating position, i have in the past seen evidence which suggested that other nations had gotten more comprehensive trade agreements for example than the EU. This may suggest that the EU is not using all the leverage it can.
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The foreign policy implications of any changes to trade treaties resulting from a UK withdrawal from the EU
I think it unlikely that our foreign policy would be significantly different with an EU exit, especially given our allegiance to the US already.
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The impact on other EU states and EU institutions of UK withdrawal from the EU
Minimal - I believe that the economies which favour the market over government may be weakened somewhat by the withdrawal of an ally (Germany, Austria, Netherlands) however i believe that the EU will cope fine without us.
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The implications of leaving the EU for the Union (that is, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and their foreign policy consequences
While i see little threat of Wales or Northern Ireland being rallied against the union because of this, the timing in Scotland is unfortunate and this will be another blow for the chances of sustaining our union.
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