The European Movement in London (EMiL) is the regional branch of the European Movement. EMiL has, since August 2009, been responsible for the whole of London, the first time that an EM branch covers the whole of the capital. Our task is to promote and maintain public interest in and understanding of the EU, disseminating information on how the UK benefits from its EU membership.
EMiL was formerly known as the Central London Europe Group (CLEG), which had since 1987 been the local branch covering Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and the City.
EMiL's predecessor CLEG was founded in 1987 through a merger of three EM branches (with very distinct traditions): Camden in Europe, Kensington and Chelsea for Europe, and Westminster for Europe, covering what had become London Central Euro-constituency. A further branch operated in Hammersmith and Fulham in the 1970s. All these were founded during or in the wake of the referendum campaign of 1975.
So as to ensure local credibility, our statutes require that all the constituent boroughs of our core area be represented on the branch committee.
We are, of course, politically non-partisan and draw support from members of all parties and of none.
EMiL, as a branch of EM-UK, works closely with the European Movement HQ to achieve our common objectives; but at the same time we maintain our own identity, concerns and especially local community focus. We also seek to develop, because of their networking potential, relations with the local business community.
More recently, we have also developed working relations with counterpart EM sections elsewhere in Europe through the Eurocapitales network.