Europe

[Desert Fox]

Should every country be able to join Europe ?

[Bianconero]

The topic I've been waiting for all my life.

[chamo]

Antarctica are holding a referendum on whether or not to join Europe next May.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

you should probably add, lad, that you're referring to the EU. Otherwise it seems that you're talking about the geographical continent. :lol:

[Loknar]

You have to be on cocaine to want to join those crazies.

[Nobody]

I think Canada should join the EU, to protect themselves from the Great Southern Satan (joke). When they let Russia in in twenty years that would open the door for all Asian countries, right?

[Dark Capitalist]

Antarctica has been claimed by the U.S.

[Sovietski Soyuz]

Originally posted by Dark [email protected] 15 2003, 09:11 PM
Antarctica has been claimed by the U.S.
Give me a link. I thought it was divided into "zones" with nations like Argentina, Chile, England, US, and others controlling pieces of the pie. And the zones are even pie-shaped, too.

[Som]

The U.S. never claimed anarctica, the little pie pieces are a bunch of claims by a few other countries, which the US doesn't recognize, and of course claims the right to claim anarctica.

Afterall those penguins are trouble making terrorists you know.

Edit - found it

Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica. The 24th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Russia in July 2001. At the end of 2001, there were 45 treaty member nations: 27 consultative and 18 non-consultative. Consultative (voting) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 20 nonclaimant nations. The US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims. The US does not recognize the claims of others. Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations. Decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (within their areas) in accordance with their own national laws. The year in parentheses indicates when an acceding nation was voted to full consultative (voting) status, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory. Claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1983), Bulgaria (1998) China (1985), Ecuador (1990), Finland (1989), Germany (1981), India (1983), Italy (1987), Japan, South Korea (1989), Netherlands (1990), Peru (1989), Poland (1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1988), Sweden (1988), Uruguay (1985), and the US. Non-consultative (nonvoting) members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1995), Ukraine (1992), and Venezuela (1999). Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations. Other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through five specific annexes: 1) marine pollution, 2) fauna and flora, 3) environmental impact assessments, 4) waste management, and 5) protected area management; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research.

[Desert Fox]

Originally posted by [email protected] 15 2003, 08:36 PM
You have to be on cocaine to want to join those crazies.
Well, these crazies have been the greatest force every known on planet earth. And no country can defy the power of the EU :P

[Dyst]

Yesterday, I was celebrating Sweden not joining the EU! I think no country should join the EU at all, since its not building bridges but walls. Sides, countries who are members of the EU cannot be called very democratic at all, since most of the politics are handled somewhere far away. Sweden knows how it is to be a member, and acts from experience by quitting the EU.

[Desert Fox]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16 2003, 06:48 PM
Yesterday, I was celebrating Sweden not joining the EU! I think no country should join the EU at all, since its not building bridges but walls. Sides, countries who are members of the EU cannot be called very democratic at all, since most of the politics are handled somewhere far away. Sweden knows how it is to be a member, and acts from experience by quitting the EU.
Moron, they just didn't accept the euro , they didn't quit the union :P

[Saint-Just]

De Gaulle's vision of Europe was one that stretched from the Ukraine to Portugal. I think anyone should be able to join inside that area as long as they meet the economic, social laws etc. that prescribe a succcessful application.

Anything outside of the area I specified is geographically unreasonable. The benefits of the EU are great. Following WWII the EU block saw massive growth due to the new EU economic agreements and plans. However that can partyl be attributed to post-war rebuilding.

Anyway, Desert Fox, your questioned seemed to have a hint of sarcasm in it. What point were you trying to make with your original question 'Should anyone be able to join the EU?'

[Invader Zim]

As everybody else is claiming antarctica as there own, do you recon I could claim it as my own land? And put a flag there and declare it as the land of Enigma.

[Urban Rubble]

You'd have to go through Urban Rubble's fantabulous Antartic party zone first. I claimed that back in 92.

[Dark Capitalist]

They say Antarctica is rich in gold.....

[canikickit]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16 2003, 07:48 PM
Yesterday, I was celebrating Sweden not joining the EU! I think no country should join the EU at all, since its not building bridges but walls. Sides, countries who are members of the EU cannot be called very democratic at all, since most of the politics are handled somewhere far away. Sweden knows how it is to be a member, and acts from experience by quitting the EU.
What nonsense. Most of the political desicion will be made in your capital, like the choic to not join the Euro for example. The idea that the EU compromises people's democracy further is entirely bogus.

[Funky Monk]

I agree with Cani, the current system of the EU gives member countries great autonomy.

I think the EU currently takes care of immigration and subsidies. Really should remember more since i converd this last year.

[Inti]

Originally posted by Dark [email protected] 19 2003, 01:17 AM
They say Antarctica is rich in gold.....
Yeah, and they say that Bush won the election fairly.. :ph34r:

[Inti]

Wish that sweden wasnt in the friggin EU.. it sucks.. :ph34r: :angry: Though I did my duty and voted a fucking big NO to the euro

[chamo]

Originally posted by Dark [email protected] 19 2003, 01:17 AM
They say Antarctica is rich in gold.....
White Gold, mate.

[Hate Is Art]

lol, truthuly though there is meant to be loads of oil and natrual gas under it, which a certain country might wish to expliot