The European Free Trade Agreement is what people were deceived into thinking they were voting for in the only referendum we've ever had on membership of what is now the EU. It is the relationship that Norway and Switzerland have with the EU and has helped them to become the two most prosperous nations in Europe, able to respond to the economic crises that have have blighted the rest of Europe without being hamstrung by stupid EU rules.
The Director of the Bruges Group, Robert Oulds, said:
This poll shows that there is a viable alternative to EU membership. The option of re-joining EFTA and becoming like Norway and Switzerland is very popular with the British public.Europhiles call EFTA "fax democracy", saying that Norway and Switzerland don't get a say in the regulations that affect them and receive new regulations from the EU by fax. This simply isn't true as Civitas pointed out recently. Norway and Switzerland, along with Iceland and Liechtenstein who are also members of EFTA, are involved in the policy making process right at the start and are involved in the regulation amendment process. They don't get a vote on the final regulation when it comes to the EU Parliament but by that time it's a fait acompli anyway, either because it's an EU regulation bringing into force a directive from an international organisation like the OECD or UN or because it's a regulation to enforce EU policy which EFTA has been part of formulating.
james · 600 weeks ago
Norway has to abide by 'EU Rules of Origin', and trade barriers/tariffs are incurred if components don't meet single market requirements. Norway also takes 75% !!! of EU laws, but has no say/veto in such laws (it has thus far taken 7,000 EU laws). It negotiates a deal every 5 years, or more like it trys to reduce EU funding demands. Norway, in terms of EU fees (o r 'voluntary contributions lol) (by the strength of it's economy) is the EUs 7th largest contributor! Norway accepts the '4 freedoms' associated with the single market- including movements of peoples. The EU labor market of migrants increased by 2-3% after '04.
Try retrieving an article via google called 'inside and outside' written by its EEA review committee, 2012.
Switzerland?
I could make lots of similar remarks with regard to their (albeit some the same/some different) issues. Blog back if you would like me to.
I'm all for leaving the EU, but this typical laymen argument that you hear from the likes of joe soap work colleagues 'oh, but Norway and Switzerland just trade with the EU, we can be like them', is a complete myth.
For the UK, any post EU situation would not be modeled on either of those two countries experiences in the slightest.
wonkotsane 85p · 599 weeks ago
james · 600 weeks ago
There is actually around 28 chapters, which you'll have to search for individually if you're interested (i.e, google Norway, outside and inside chapter (insert with one, 1-28))
This link goes to chapter 1 http://www.regjeringen.no/pages/36798821/PDFS/NOU...
Really, the 'Norway's method's great' myth is just that- a myth.