Election winner (old hat)

[Bazj]

For non EU countries with the exception of the Member States of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and Turkey and countries which signed the Barcelona Declaration, namely Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Faroe Islands have been added to the system as well.

 

The above do not have to pay any tariffs to trade with the EU, so there are exceptions although apart from suicide vests, bombs and bullets, I fail to see what we could possibly import from the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip

[Bazj]

have a look at this site.... it shows import tariffs and stuff!! Quite good fun to learn that there is an import tariff of 6.8% for importing live asses into the EU from the USA but 0% for animals brought in for immediate slaughter!

 

http://mkaccdb.eu.int/mkaccdb2/indexPubli.htm

[observer]

Hang on a minute KYJE; thought you were opposed to trade tariffs artificially increasing the price of third world goods, and forcing prices and wages down in your beloved third world. Inky makes a valid point, there is something called the World Trade Organisation which may question your assertions on EU powers.

[inky pete]

If Norway and Switzerland can get tariff free access to the european markets without bending their knee to Brussels, then why not us?

 

The fact that Turkey, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip can also do so just shows which way the EU wind is blowing. Isn't access to the free market the usual pre-cursor to lining up countries for membership?

 

So the EU dictators want a superstate encompassing half the Islamic world, do they? And including at least two regimes which have actively sponsored acts of terrorism commited against EU members?

[observer]

It's an artificial construct, and as with most top down initiatives, doomed to fail. If we'd been told in the beginning that we, together with France and Germany, would be paying to bring southern and eastern Europe into the 21st century, whilst neglecting our own infrastructure and industry - I guess we'd never have voted to go into it in the first place.

[inky pete]

We didn't vote to go into the EU.

 

What we voted to join was a very different animal altogether.

 

To describe the EU monster as a free trade zone is like describing a skunk as being furry - true as far as it goes, but ignoring the more salient fact that it stinks to high heaven!

[Bazj]

[Lt Kije]

At least inky you now know the Eu is a free trade zone In time I might be able to lay to bed the other propaganda you beleive

[inky pete]

From the information posted here it is clear to those with eyes to see that the EU is NOT a free trade zone.

 

It is PART of a free trade zone which also includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Faroe Islands, Switzerland, Turkey, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip - none of whom are EU members and none of whom are expected to hand over their sovereignty for the privilege of selling their wares to europeans.

 

I'd even estimate that within the free trade zone citizens of EU nations are actually in a minority!

 

So, to come back to your earlier post about the indivisibility of EU membership from trading rights:-

 

"If you are out of the Eu , and want to trade into it, you have to pay,"

No you don't.

 

"The Eu is a free trade zone if you are not in it you have to pay to bring things in"

Also not true.

 

"Our exports to the Eu would be even less competative than they are now."

Now that is is just ridiculous. Even if import tariffs were charged on UK goods entering the EU (which we've already established is far from certain) then the combination of the money we'd save from not paying for membership, plus the revenue we as a country would gain from tariffs charged on EU goods entering the UK, plus the reduced costs on businesses as a result of not having to comply with barmy EU regulations, would enable UK businesses to be more competetive - not less.