CHRISTMAS is almost upon us again and the search for presents is well under way. The choice available is simply staggering.

You can buy the latest electronic wizardry from around the world and it's a similar story with food for the festive table. Alternatively, you can jet off to some exotic location and spend Christmas on the other side of the world.

Yes, globalisation has brought us all kinds of opportunities that our grandparents' generation could never imagine.

But it has also bred huge uncertainly and insecurity.

Whether it's climate change, future energy supplies or global terrorism, the modern world seems a very dangerous place.

But retreating into our shell is simply not an option. Whether we like it or not, we are affected by everything that happens on our planet.

Take the environment. Pollution and climate change do not respect national frontiers. In an ever more interdependent world, it is only when countries work together that we can tackle the major challenges we face.

That is why we need the European Union now more than ever. You can't be an environmentalist and a eurosceptic. It doesn't add up. The same is true about fighting terrorism or securing our energy supplies.

Perhaps then, this Christmas, the best gift we can give to ourselves and future generations is to put ourselves at the forefront of a Europe that is meeting the challenges of globalisation, as well as taking advantage of all the opportunities it brings.

GARY TITLEY MEP, Spring Lane, Radcliffe, Manchester.