Franglais:
muckles:
Franglais:
Currently VAT isnt paid on imported goods from other EU countries until sold. VAT must be paid as soon as goods from other countries leave port of entry, unless a 45 day dispensation is authorised by HMRC. If these rules continue any goods from the EU post Brexit will need to have VAT paid at time of entry. This means companies with large stocks will be paying tax out before they receive it. This is obviously a cost for trading companies: paying out before receiving monies. Given HMRC do random checks for contraband tobacco and alcohol etc (we all know different rules apply here) wont they be doing extra checks on all goods to check VAT has been paid? Opening up trailer doors and seeing no bottles of plonk or baccy wont be enough. Time will be lost. Extra staff employed. We cant expect everyone to be honest can we?
Going the other way it is up to the EU to decide what to do. Holland has employed many hundreds of extra customs staffâŚ
VAT on UK exports mean more expense for our foreign customers.
Delays anywhere will cost hauliers money. Even if its non-UK hauliers those delays and costs will be passed to UK exporters and to retain profits our exports become dearer and less competitive. Electronic paperwork? Well, weve no system in place now, and no plans for any, and given the scale it doesnt exist anywhere in the world yet. If we could "magically" design and install such a system wed need to pay for it, staff to administer it and still need enforcement staff to check it isnt being abused. This is all pretty basic stuff isnt it? These problems and issues are the reason the EU exists.
I think if that was the only reason the EU existed, we wouldnât have got to the point of Brexit or the many other poltical changes weâre seeing across Europe at the moment. 
Youre right there is more to the current dissatisfaction in the EU. Some of it justified, some of it confused. Or at least, thats the way I see it. Here, it`s a case of looking at the financial and tax pluses/minuses.
The good aspects of no war in western Europe for over fifty years is unfortunately taken as a âgivenâ by too many. From here the past always looks like an inevitable route to today doesn`t it?
Yes I believe no present day EU countries have been at war with each other since the end of WWII, but considering for most of that time most of the countries now in the EU werenât members, The UK, Ireland and Demark did join until 1973, nearly 30 years after the end of the war, Spain and Portugal 1986, I believe and then we have the more recent joiners, I think itâs a bit of a red herring to claim its due to the EU, I would suggest NATO and the Warsaw pact and the iron hand of the USSR had more to do with it than the EU.
Franglais:
The big influx of the ex Com Bloc countries was a major event. Wow, we were all happy in 1989 werent we? Quite right too. If that hadnt happened we might now be in a stronger fiscal position? Less cheap EE labour? No Waberers cut rates?
But look at the alternatives. Nuclear armed poor countries on our doorstep? No trade with us?
Ignore the weapons, economic migrants to the EU from Africa etc would be queuing behind those from East Europe.
I seem to remember former Eastern bloc countries trading with us before they joined the EU, so trade would have happened and no doubt economic deals would have been done between them and the US and EU countries to get them to give up their nuclear weapons, one of the reasons for the continuation of the Russian space program, was the US not wanting loads of Russian rocket scientists going to work for the highest bidder if it had collapsed due to lack of Russian funding.
And of course we would have had, in fact did have those from the former Eastern Bloc coming trying to get here illegally.
Franglais:
Big Government interfering in every day life? If it wasnt Brussels woudnt it be Westminster?
Big government in Westminster and the EU are really part of the same thing, hence why so many on the neo-liberal side in UK politics so keen on EU membership. The difference is we cannot elect EU officials who wield so much power, in fact several EU countries and their opposition in the case of the UK were powerless to stop Juncker to stop Junker being voted in as the President of the EU, this is not some civil service jobs, but a highly influential position, not to mention his appointment of Martin Selmayr which due consternation from even those pro-EU politicians.
Franglais:
There are problems in the world with globalisation and I honestly thinkâŚI suspect you may disagreeâŚthat the EU can help fight this. But to do so it needs the appropriate National Governments to be elected, and have them send in the right Commissioners. A single Nation, won`t be in a position to resist global capitalist expansion as strongly as a big SupraNational trading block.
I dunno how itll all work out, but I still think were better placed in, rather than out.
Yes globalisation isnât really there to benefit the normal person, but the big business and those politicians who do their bidding, even if itâs against the wishes of those who elected them. Yes the EU is a mirror of its member countries make up, but thatâs where the problem is lies, weâve lost control of those in power, those who have forgotten they are there to serve us, not us them.
But without Brexit and the other things happening round Europe now, those in control of the EU would have been happy to continue with those policies that were benefiting them and their paymasters.
Honestly economically weâd probably be better in, letting the status quo continue, but the status quo isnât the best for us in the long run, power and decisions would be continued to become more remote from the people and left in the hands of a few in the elite, until maybe we have revolution like has happened in the past when the people have so little left they have nothing to lose. Whatâs happening around Europe at the moment saddens me, but it has fired people up into demanding to be listened to and those who thought they had it al their way cannot continue to ignore them for much longer.
We don