-:Undertaker:-
31-03-2014, 02:58 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/10731432/Britains-EU-clout-is-a-myth-says-Civitas-report.html
Britain's EU clout is a myth, says Civitas report
The clout Britain gets from being in the European Union is a myth, according to a new report
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02866/debate_2866476a.jpg
Nick Clegg said in the LBC debate that Britain had 'clout' being part of the EU; a report by Civitas disagrees
The clout Britain gets from being in the European Union is a myth, according to a new report.
Smaller countries like Switzerland are able to negotiate better trade deals with other countries than the European Union, it said.
The study by the Civitas think tank will be seized on by Eurosceptic critics of Britain’s membership of the EU as further reasons for why the UK should pull out.
It also counters claims by Nick Clegg, the deputy Prime Minister, in his EU debate with Nigel Farage, the UK Independence Party leader, last week.
Mr Clegg has said: “We are better off in Europe - richer, stronger, safer - and that’s why I will fight to keep us in, for the sake of jobs, for the sake of our clout in the world, for the sake of Britain.”
Michael Burrage, a social scientist, examined the ‘clout’ of eight million-strong Switzerland in comparison with the EU and its nearly 500 million population.
He found that “Switzerland has been more successful than the EU in negotiating freed trade agreements”.
This was because EU member states were often held back by “conflicting interests, pressure groups delayed agreement about the negotiating stance to be taken”.
His report concluded: “Without these complications it would be possible to be a little more nimble in dealing with trading partners, and so it has turned out for Switzerland.”
In December 2013, for example, Switzerland had 26 free trade agreements in force, while the EU had 25.
Switzerland has six agreements in force with no EU counterpart: Singapore, the South African Customs Union, Japan, Canada, Ukraine, China and Hong Kong.
The EU had agreements with five countries with which Switzerland does not: Syria, San Marino, Algeria, Central America and Andorra.
Civitas said: “It seems that Switzerland, all on its own without any ‘clout’, has free trade agreements with some of the most important players in international trade.”
It added: “Switzerland has made agreements with some of the biggest economies and ensured that proper weight was given to its own comparative advantages, whereas the UK has had to give way to the priorities of the European Commission. Over time this drawback has undoubtedly contributed to our economic stagnation.”
Civitas pointed out that talks over the recent Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership “nearly collapsed because France did not want ‘cultural industries’, such as TV, film and online media, to be included”.
The think tank added: “This is also one of the UK’s strengths but has is now excluded to accommodate French sensitivities.
“There seems to be little doubt that we would have been better off with the independence of Switzerland and without the ‘clout’ of the EU.”
Common bloody sense really. Clegg's main arguments have been utterly taken apart this past week.
Interesting to note also in the comparions between the EU trade deals and the Swiss trade deals, that Switzerland has deals with Japan, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong and China - where as the EU does not. All of those, apart from Canada, are home to hugely important financial centers on a part with London..... something that we could take huge advantage of if we weren't locked inside the European Union. Instead, we get trade deals with those financial powerhouses of... Syria, San Marino and Algeria woop.
If the Swiss can secure these deals, then Britain as the 6th largest economy - and only European economy expected to remain in the global top ten by 2050 - as well as the largest financial sector in the world can secure deals more than twice as good.
Thoughts?
Britain's EU clout is a myth, says Civitas report
The clout Britain gets from being in the European Union is a myth, according to a new report
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02866/debate_2866476a.jpg
Nick Clegg said in the LBC debate that Britain had 'clout' being part of the EU; a report by Civitas disagrees
The clout Britain gets from being in the European Union is a myth, according to a new report.
Smaller countries like Switzerland are able to negotiate better trade deals with other countries than the European Union, it said.
The study by the Civitas think tank will be seized on by Eurosceptic critics of Britain’s membership of the EU as further reasons for why the UK should pull out.
It also counters claims by Nick Clegg, the deputy Prime Minister, in his EU debate with Nigel Farage, the UK Independence Party leader, last week.
Mr Clegg has said: “We are better off in Europe - richer, stronger, safer - and that’s why I will fight to keep us in, for the sake of jobs, for the sake of our clout in the world, for the sake of Britain.”
Michael Burrage, a social scientist, examined the ‘clout’ of eight million-strong Switzerland in comparison with the EU and its nearly 500 million population.
He found that “Switzerland has been more successful than the EU in negotiating freed trade agreements”.
This was because EU member states were often held back by “conflicting interests, pressure groups delayed agreement about the negotiating stance to be taken”.
His report concluded: “Without these complications it would be possible to be a little more nimble in dealing with trading partners, and so it has turned out for Switzerland.”
In December 2013, for example, Switzerland had 26 free trade agreements in force, while the EU had 25.
Switzerland has six agreements in force with no EU counterpart: Singapore, the South African Customs Union, Japan, Canada, Ukraine, China and Hong Kong.
The EU had agreements with five countries with which Switzerland does not: Syria, San Marino, Algeria, Central America and Andorra.
Civitas said: “It seems that Switzerland, all on its own without any ‘clout’, has free trade agreements with some of the most important players in international trade.”
It added: “Switzerland has made agreements with some of the biggest economies and ensured that proper weight was given to its own comparative advantages, whereas the UK has had to give way to the priorities of the European Commission. Over time this drawback has undoubtedly contributed to our economic stagnation.”
Civitas pointed out that talks over the recent Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership “nearly collapsed because France did not want ‘cultural industries’, such as TV, film and online media, to be included”.
The think tank added: “This is also one of the UK’s strengths but has is now excluded to accommodate French sensitivities.
“There seems to be little doubt that we would have been better off with the independence of Switzerland and without the ‘clout’ of the EU.”
Common bloody sense really. Clegg's main arguments have been utterly taken apart this past week.
Interesting to note also in the comparions between the EU trade deals and the Swiss trade deals, that Switzerland has deals with Japan, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong and China - where as the EU does not. All of those, apart from Canada, are home to hugely important financial centers on a part with London..... something that we could take huge advantage of if we weren't locked inside the European Union. Instead, we get trade deals with those financial powerhouses of... Syria, San Marino and Algeria woop.
If the Swiss can secure these deals, then Britain as the 6th largest economy - and only European economy expected to remain in the global top ten by 2050 - as well as the largest financial sector in the world can secure deals more than twice as good.
Thoughts?