EU Referendum debate: some useful sources

Here are some of the sources which we found useful for factchecking the EU referendum debates.

General Analysis

• House of Commons Library, the non-partisan research service for MPs.
• UK in a Changing Europe, the academic hub for research on UK-EU relations
• Migration Observatory, at Oxford University
• Balance of Competences Review, the government’s large project looking at the relationship between the EU and UK

EU budget

• To compare what different countries put in and get out, go here
• The European Commission has published the draft 2016 EU budget, and a summary of its uses
• You can also find the multiannual financial framework, which sets ceilings on the EU budget, and the European Commission’s explainer
• UK in a Changing Europe have written a useful guide to the EU Budget

The UK’s financial contribution to the EU

• Treasury figures are here, which include figures for 2015
• ONS figures are in Chapter 9, Table 9.9 of the Pink Book
• The ONS has published a note explaining different components of the UK’s contribution

Impact of leaving

• Report from the House of Commons Library gives a balanced overview of the issues at stake, and the potential impact on key policy areas
• The Institute for Fiscal Studies summarises a range of estimates for the expected long term impact on economic growth and the short term impact on public finances
• The Constitution Unit at University College London has a helpful piece on the process of leaving

Trade

• UK data on trade can be found in the ONS Pink Book, Chapter 9
• EU data on trade in goods can be found here and EU data for trade in services can be found here - this can differ to UK data

Immigration

• The most recent Office for National Statistics report on immigration and emigration is here
• It also has a report on population numbers which show how many immigrants from other EU members are in this country

EU laws

• The Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union are the key treaties now
• All EU law appears on EUR- Lex, including statistics on how many are passed
• All judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union are on Curia
• The EU Law Analysis website publishes useful commentary on new developments