It's almost like someone's been reading this blog,
letter in the Telegraph:
SIR – You report (December 24) that the sale of the Royal Mail may signify the
end of daily deliveries at a flat price. In a separate article on the same
day, George Osborne, the Chancellor, commendably urges that Britain should
pull back from the EU. The two are directly related: the EU's Third Postal
Directive will threaten the Royal Mail by removing its protection for
letters under 50g.
EU directives have already brought the Royal Mail to its knees. Norway, which
is out of the EU in a "pulled back" position, is refusing to
implement this directive under its European Economic Area (EEA) agreement.
We could do the same if we rejoined the European Free Trade Area we created
in 1960 and also signed up to the EEA Agreement.
However, we are in a strong position to negotiate an agreement, which refuses
to implement many other of the EU's laws. I commend that course of action.
David Campbell Bannerman MEP (Con)
If we ever left the EU, I doubt very much whether membership of the EEA would be on offer, it was supposed to be a sort of halfway house for the nations that are in it, between being in and out.
ReplyDeleteThe idea was that Iceland and Norway etc. would join the EU when their governments could con the population, so far they have proved to be more on the ball than some of us.
You're right it's a halfway house, one designed to 'bounce' Norway in - but Norwegians have more sense than that. A halfway in can also be a halfway out.
ReplyDeleteNot sure sure why it wouldn't be on offer though, it would surely be part of the negotiations under A50. It looks increasingly likely the EU want rid of us, but I think they would still want us to remain within the Single Market
As we import more from the EU than we export to it, it is difficult to see how they coulld impose unilateral trade sanctions on us.
ReplyDelete@eddyh They could if we unilaterally left overnight, in fact they would legally bound to under EU and International law. By tearing up one contract we need another in its place - negotiation and a trade model in place is the key.
ReplyDeleteSo certainly you're right, given the importance of trade between us and them, during any negotiation period of leaving it wouldn't be in ours or the EU's interests to engage in a trade war.