What has the European Union ever done for us in the North East? The European Union directly benefits the North East, and here are a number of reasons demonstrating how; The European Union directly benefits the North East, and here are a number of reasons demonstrating how.
Byline: Jonathan Walker
What has the EU ever done for us?
The answer is that it's done plenty.
Supporters of EU membership argue that these benefits would be lost if we vote to walk out, in the referendum on June 23.
The leave campaign says that we can enjoy many of the benefits even if we stay.
But take a look at what the European Union has done for the North East and see what you think.
Around 100,000 jobs in the North East are linked to exports to Europe. In 2015, 58 per cent of goods exported from the North East, worth around [pounds sterling]7 billion, were sold in EU countries.
The North East has also benefitted from [pounds sterling]1.1 billion of inward foreign direct investment from EU members over the last 5 years.
But what would happen if we left? According to modelling carried out by the Treasury, a vote to leave could cause unemployment in the North East to rise by around 20,000 - while youth unemployment could rise by 3000.
Meanwhile, experts think there will be more jobs if we vote to stay in.
A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) predicted that more than 100,000 UK manufacturing jobs will be created by the EU's single market if we stay in the EU, including 5,640 in the North East.
Cheaper flights and visa free travel make it easier for EU citizens to travel to other EU countries. There were 274,000 inbound visits to the North East from EU tourists in 2014, contributing [pounds sterling]90 million to the local economy, and supporting an industry that employs around 117,000 people in the region.
The agriculture sector in the North East employs over 10,000 people, and from 2007 to 2013 it benefited from over [pounds sterling]800 million in payments from the EU's Common Agricultural Policy
Nearly 1,000 NHS hospital and community health staff in the North East are from other EU countries. This includes nearly 450 doctors and over 160 nurses and midwives.
If the UK left the EU - and assuming this also meant an end to free movement of workers, as the Leave campaign is promising - it could become harder for skilled workers such as doctors and nurses to practice in the UK.
Working with other countries makes it easier to deport criminals who come here from overseas, and to ensure people who commit crimes here can't hide out in other countries.
Since 2009, thanks to the European Arrest Warrant, law enforcements agencies in the region have brought back 10 people to face justice and extradited 110 people...
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