Brexit

[Witton Park]

WP, that is correct. But, unless you have come into direct contact with it, it is difficult to comprehend the massive power and imperviousness to redirection that commissioners wield.
My eyes were opened about 15 years ago when we came up against a European Commissioner who was completely resistant to common sense change when he was imposing a Health and Safety Directive that would, at a stroke, have removed the tool of MRI scanning from medicine. This was an unintended consequence of H&S legislation aimed at protecting workers exposed to industrial electromagnetic fields. Despite major lobbying from all European Radiological Associations, Commissioner Spidler was completely intransigent. In the end, all these associations had to link hands with the manufacturers to pay for a full time lobbying office in Brussels. At the eleventh hour, after 10 years of pressure, the commission agreed to 'de-rogate' the law as it applied to medicine. This is a posh way of saying suspension not removal of the threat.
The complete bollocks of this took massive time, energy and money away from more pressing uses such as patient care. That for me was the 'tipping point'.

Not such a serious case, but I have also experience of the Commission on 2 counts.

First was the anti-dumping duty and quota imposed on footwear in the late 90s.

Ironically UK manufacturing had been decimated through the late 80s and early 90s as Spain and Portugal joined the EEC.To survive quite a few UK businesses look ed to import and invested lots of time and money in setting up a supply chain in the Far East.

Only for the EU to bring in measures to protect the competitors that had been the main accelerant to the UK closures in the first place.
A double-whammy for the UK companies involved and for 20 years now the UK punter has paid inflated prices for footwear.

The Uk Government voted against back in the late 90s and have done so each time these measures have come up for review.

Clarks have also won a case in the ECJ who found the anti-dumping measures were illegal. They are still in place.

Second was when I held some shares in British Airways also back in the 90s. BA along with other EU airlines took the French Govt and Air France to court for illegal state aid.

They won - it was a court procedure over several years, but the ECJ found in their favour and Air France were directed to repay around 2 Billion Francs back.

A slight of hand from Commissioner Kinnock got them off the hook.

[DrPatrickBarry]

This article pisses me off and not becaues of "I told you so". No it is a case of these businesses first port of call is to go abroad to get the right staff, maybe the umbrella organisation should try jumping on their membership to offer high quality apprentiships and train their own British staff.

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...urant-industry

[Witton Park]

This article pisses me off and not becaues of "I told you so". No it is a case of these businesses first port of call is to go abroad to get the right staff, maybe the umbrella organisation should try jumping on their membership to offer high quality apprentiships and train their own British staff.

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...urant-industry

I think they should also look at the number of restaurants that are little more than pop-up shop laundering operations.

[Wheeze]

Right, I think thats agreed then. The Commission is unelected. Its bad enough with one unelected upper chamber, never mind two. Get rid of one and sort the other out.

[Dave_Mole]

Right, I think thats agreed then. The Commission is unelected

...which is why I don't usually bother getting involved in conversations about Brexit. You can try and get to the core of an argument, try to explore just what it is that is seen to be a problem, and yet people persist in maintaing positions which aren't based on any sort of evidence. Just like the current government and so-called "negotiations" over the backstop.

Well, it was fun whilst it lasted.....

[millipede]

Well, it was fun whilst it lasted.....

This forum used to be fun......

Actually this country used to be fun...... before the boring B word.

[DrPatrickBarry]

This forum used to be fun......

Started to disappear with the safety rules changes.

[Dave_Mole]

Started to disappear with the safety rules changes.

I always pin my number to my vest before posting

[Stagger]

So most are unelected people.

And now have too much power.

[Witton Park]

This forum used to be fun......

Actually this country used to be fun...... before the boring B word.

Well I'm hopefully off for some fun now at Bleasdale.