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Switzerland and Norway are not free to make trade deals by themselves. They too opted to be part of the economic block even though they aren't full member state
by ralfn 4y ago
Switzerland and Norway are not free to make trade deals by themselves. They too opted to be part of the economic block even though they aren't full member states.
Going for the type of deal these countries have with the EU would have been very smart. You still get to have your borders, you are not paying in, etc. But trade deals are approved by the whole bloc. If you don't want that then you are less integrated with the European economy than Turkey.
Honestly, if you aren't aware of the different layers of collaboration within Europe (with an EU member state being the highest form), you really shouldn't pretend to be able to say anything meaningful about it.
This is so far removed from reality, i have to ask: which Murdoch outlet has been misinforming you?
- jollybean 4y agoI worked for the European Investment Fund (part of European Investment Bank Group in Luxembourg) I know a thing or two about 'The layers of EU government and trade', thanks very much. Your comments about 'getting the benefits of an EU deal' are a bit glib when not contemplating the innumerable other costs and constraints of such a deal. Moreover - as you hint they are 'economic benefits' for which the political layer of the EU are mostly not necessary. An evolved EEC (with a different kind of ECJ, different kind of Euro) would be much better for European nations than the EU - and everyone including Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia, probably even Turkey could be part of it.
- blibble 4y agoNorway is an EFTA state, which makes its own free trade deals (and has more than the EU)