Wednesday 4 September 2013

EU, Norway And BBC Bias


That the BBC is bias when it comes to all matters EU won't come as a surprise to most. And so it proves again with the film above by Matthew Price, the BBC's "Europe" correspondent as spotted by Richard North

Posing the question: "Would Norway's special EU arrangement work for Britain?", Price wastes no time in effectively dismissing the idea in terms which would greatly please pro-EU Cameron himself, including the old canard that Norway has "no say". Price's exact words are (1 min in) - and it's worth bearing these words in mind:
Norway has to obey the trading rules of the European Union,. And yet, unlike the 28 member countries that make up the EU, it has no say in what those rules actually are. They are, literally, imposed by Brussels".
This assertion is, as readers of this blog will be aware, entirely false. Richard ponders whether the BBC feels it necessary to lie so freely is not just because of inherent bias but also in part because of ignorance. Well there's only one way to find out, ask the man himself...which I duly did last night via twitter.

My first tweet began:

Price's subsequent reply was interesting:

Straight away he admits Norway can "lobby to affect EC proposals". Now, that's somewhat different to his assertion that it has "no say". By using the term lobbying Price is clearly referring to the fact Norway, and other EEA states, sit on EEA committees and help formulate Single Market rules from the outset. 

The term "lobbying" is downplaying the EEA member's role in this by some distance, yet even that term alone is still an admission that his report is wrong. Thus this is a Norwegian position that he is clearly aware of but chose not to mention in his report. Price justifies the omission instead with the argument that Norway complains of a "democratic deficit". This implies that being members of the EU somehow would solve that deficit, an implication which is ludicrous - even the EU itself acknowledges the "democratic deficit" problem for EU members.

I next put to him that Norway has a veto, again I receive another very 'interesting' response:

And there we have an admission from a BBC reporter - Matthew Price - that he is fully aware that Norway has a veto, again undermining his report that Norway has "no say". He somehow tries to justify this by saying that the EEA agreement would swiftly unravel as a result of EEA states exercising this right. We know this to be untrue.

Norway has used its veto when it came to the 3rd Postal Directive - a Directive the UK had no option but to implement via the 2011 Postal Services Act. The EEA agreement did not unravel. In addition Norway has threatened to use it on other occasions, a threat that enhances its negotiating position when sitting on EEA committees. Again somewhat different to the argument of "no say".

I then put to Price the issue of Norway having a greater say on the WTO than the UK which is represented by an EU "common position":

That Norway assimilates 75% of EU law into national law is a reflection of Norwegian democracy not a reflection of its lack of say within the EEA, as I noted here. We also have an admission that Norway does indeed have a say on the international stage - it has "pushed back" GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms). And indeed they have (my emphasis):
Despite the close relationship between Norway and the EU through the EEA Agreement, which inter alia means that Norway is part of the internal market for trade in goods, Norwegian authorities have so far pursued a policy on marketing of GMOs that differs significantly from that of the EU. Given the fact that Norway is depending on the political will of the EU in order to continue its cooperation with the EU through the EEA Agreement, which gives Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein a unique possibility to participate in political processes within the EU, it is remarkable that Norway has been willing to deviate from the policy of the EU on such a politically important issue as the marketing of GMOs. This indicates the extent to which Norwegian politicians have considered GMOs to be a major political issue. 
So at the end of a relatively short twitter exchange, Matthew Price has admitted that Norway has a veto, helps formulate EU laws from the outset and has a say on international laws which could be contrary to the EU's position. This in stark contrast to what he says in the report above:
...[Norway] has no say in what those rules actually are. They are, literally, imposed by Brussels".
It should be remembered at this point that I'm querying the sentiments of a supposedly "impartial" BBC reporter, yet if I didn't know better I would think I was arguing with pro-EU Cameron. The responses I encountered are exactly what I would expect - and have received - from those who support EU membership and disagree with the Norway model - the same model which is a convenient antidote to the economic 'hang onto nurse' arguments.

Bias laid bare...a complaint is on its way.

16 comments:

  1. Bravo my warm amphibian.....

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  2. Thanks Andy, less warm though and more bloody hot :-)

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  3. Indeed, well done!

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  4. Great stuff TBF...

    Perhaps more of us should vent our spleens more thoughtfully. Better to attack the enemy rather than the perceived weaknesses of those who are aiming for the same thing.

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  5. Nice work my friend.

    This is happening for the same reason the BBC only speaks to the pro-EU Conservative party in Norway - to skew public opinion with pro-EU comment.

    The BBC really needs a damned good kicking for this. The corporation is in no way acting in an impartial manner. This is one-sided propaganda. At our expense.

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    1. Thanks, completely agree AM. I've put a complaint in already to the BBC. It really is essential to take them to task over this - the Norway option is the 'Achilles heel' of those who wish us to remain members of the EU. That the BBC should do their bidding for them is a disgrace.

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  6. Very impressive work!

    Cameron would probably have lied, complicated and generally attempted confusion over these issue, but, otherwise, as you say, classic pro-EU bias revealed from a typical EU-phile.

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  7. Well done, problem is we can't unbroadcast the programme and the message, because it was on the BBC, will be taken as gospel by many.

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  8. Well done and as a non TV licence fee payer I've just complained on line to the BBC about the two lies and one bias contained in Matthew Price's report.

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  9. This is very well done TBF. Trouble is with all these people is that if they are confronted by the facts, they dare not correct their lies. I will not be listening intently for him to issue a corrective piece.

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    1. You're probably right regarding the BBC won't correct their lies...but we've got to try. The issue is too important to allow them to get away with it unchallenged.

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  10. At least that bias is out in the open to see.

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  11. Agreed, and he didn't even bother to hide it

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  12. policies (No dead throwbacks) and have far better fish stocks than the rest of Europe.

    While I don't know, it's highly likely that the fish breeding in Norway's waters keep the rest of Northern Europe supplied. The Norwegians know a thing or two about fish, as we did once!

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