The Brexit referendum thread: potential consequences for GB, EU and the Brits in CH

	Quote:	rainer_d
	How much of the animal-feed is imported? AFAIK, this is a quite substantial amount in Switzerland.

There's a simple solution to this problem. GM crops. But Europe won't embrace GM because of bad science.

[marton]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	OK Einstein, why do you think 27% of food is currently imported from the EU? Could it possibly be that the lack of tariffs have an influence? And the high tariffs imposed on imports from outside the EU? After Brexit, the UK will be able to set its own tariffs and therefore won't be so reliant on EU imports.

"After Brexit, the UK will be able to set its own tariffs" Sadly not, if UK wants to trade with the rest of the world then it will have to follow WTO rules. They have already indicated they will attempt to copy the EU WTO rules.

	Quote:	marton
	"After Brexit, the UK will be able to set its own tariffs" Sadly not, if UK wants to trade with the rest of the world then it will have to follow WTO rules. They have already indicated they will attempt to copy the EU WTO rules.

Yes, and where do the WTO rules state that a country MUST have trade tariffs

[marton]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	Yes, and where do the WTO rules state that a country MUST have trade tariffs

Well if all else fails you could try reading the rules

I am reminded of the cloud cuckoo land comment

[Odile]

And now- just as 'negotiations' start, the economy is going to pot, the NHS is crumbling, kids don't have places to go to school in September, etc, etc, etc ... what do they do - break for holidays (to Europe for most of them probably)... what a bloody farce

[Urs Max]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	Yes, and where do the WTO rules state that a country MUST have trade tariffs

It's quite simple:
Tariffs serve to protect domestic business, no tariffs no (financial) protection.

If the UK's economy were that competitive its current account wouldn't be as red as it has been for half an eternity. Recently it stood at some 6% of GDP, that's even bigger than the US'.

[Jim2007]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	OK Einstein, why do you think 27% of food is currently imported from the EU? Could it possibly be that the lack of tariffs have an influence? And the high tariffs imposed on imports from outside the EU? After Brexit, the UK will be able to set its own tariffs and therefore won't be so reliant on EU imports.

Take a good look at what is being imported and that does not mean one of your usual links! Proximity is a major factor - people tend to like fresh goods.

[Jim2007]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	Yes, and where do the WTO rules state that a country MUST have trade tariffs

Pretty much all of the agreements the U.K. want to be party to. In fact the U.K. 48% exports to the EU may be impacted by those quotas if they have to trade under WTO rules.

[amogles]

	Quote:	marton
	No it is not "exactly the same"; Dutch people in Switzerland are not facing an uncertain future due to Switzerland cutting ties with the EU

We did have a vote not too long ago about FMOP, and the EU said you can only have that if you cancel the bilaterals.

So it's not as if such a development is totally in the realms of the impossible.

	Quote:	Jim2007
	Take a good look at what is being imported and that does not mean one of your usual links! Proximity is a major factor - people tend to like fresh goods.

Yes, like fresh mangoes, fresh bananas, fresh avocados and fresh New Zealand lamb

EU's Brexit chiefs want to 'punish' Britain to stop other countries leaving, senior German MEP claims

[Sandgrounder]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	EU's Brexit chiefs want to 'punish' Britain to stop other countries leaving, senior German MEP claims

	Quote:
	But he said Mr Barnier and Mr Verhofstadt simply want to “make a mess” of the negotiations in order to discourage other nations from leaving the EU.

I don't know why they would bother going to the trouble. David Davis seems to be doing an admirable job of making a mess of it all by himself.

The whole thing is a car crash in the making, mainly because the UK is clueless what it actually wants.

	Quote:	Sandgrounder
	The whole thing is a car crash in the making, mainly because the UK is clueless what it actually wants.

This simply is not true. The UK has set out exactly what it wants.

[Jim2007]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	This simply is not true. The UK has set out exactly what it wants.

This is not even remotely close to the detailed position papers that are expected at this stage. It late in the game and the UK is way behind....

	Quote:	Jim2007
	It late in the game and the UK is way behind....

Where is your proof for this?

[Sandgrounder]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	Where is your proof for this?

Hot off the pro-Brexit presses at the DM...

EU chief negotiator Barnier launches stinging attack at lack of 'clear British position' after four days of Brexit talks end in deadlock

	Quote:	Sandgrounder
	Hot off the pro-Brexit presses at the DM... EU chief negotiator Barnier launches stinging attack at lack of 'clear British position' after four days of Brexit talks end in deadlock

This is not proof.

[Sandgrounder]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	Where is your proof for this?

	Quote:	Loz1983
	This is not proof.

But where is the proof that the negotiations are indeed on track?

The .gov link you posted is only an overview of what is hoped to be achieved on a very general level.

	Quote:	Sandgrounder
	But where is the proof that the negotiations are indeed on track? The .gov link you posted is only an overview of what is hoped to be achieved on a very general level.

I have never said the negotiations are on track. Jim said the UK is not even remotely close to the detailed position papers that are expected at this stage, and that the UK is way behind. I don't believe this is the case. There are 80 odd UK negotiators in Brussels divided into a number of teams negotiating on several different issues. This is a process and neither side has shown their hand so far. All we have to go on is the odd soundbite.

[Jim2007]

	Quote:	Loz1983
	Where is your proof for this?

	Quote:	Loz1983
	This is not proof.

Turning back on yourself, you prove it, you are the one disputing it.