The EU going forward

[Akasya]

Mmmm so wasn’t Cameron’s veto ignored? The EU simply worked it’s way around it.
Logic alone should tell us that Brussels can’t operate fully whilst National Parliaments can thwart them. They want vetoes replaced with majority voting ie tax issues being one of them.
They have to dangle carrots to those who object to EU policy’s.
As said though, we are outside looking in but I can’t see the US being happy with the EU over China, just like they’re not over Russia. If the EU thinks that’s the way(s) to go, then that’s up to them.

No
Steve

 

[Tenpin]

Eurostar is 'in peril' and needs UK government help, say British firms​

Full Story

British business leaders are calling on the UK government to provide financial help to Eurostar, stressing the COVID-hit rail link to Europe is "in peril".

Eurostar, which is majority-owned by France's state-owned rail company, SNCF, is believed to have tapped into all financial assistance available to them from the French government.

As far as I can tell there is no ownership by the UK......could be wrong.

Eurostar was owned by SNCF, SNCB and British Rail. ... In May 2015, the UK government completed the sale of its 40% share to a consortium made up of two companies: Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec (CDPQ) and Hermes Infrastructure.

 

[Tenpin]

NGOs demand action not promises as EU accused of ‘failing to protect seas’​

Full Story

Extract:
Environmental groups propose urgent plan to stop overfishing and safeguard marine life, as existing laws go unenforced.
A coalition of NGOs is calling for an urgent ban on destructive bottom trawling in EU marine protected areas, after the failure of member states to defend seas.

 

[Chasey]

Why should the EU have a mind to what the USA think?

I think if anything its a smart move to underlie the independence of the EU ahead of their new round of trade talks with Bidon

RE EU Majority voting? Just more ignorance from the pro Brexit camp. Its quite alarming how poorly informed their decision making was

Its explained clearly here. The revised system far from being designed to allow issues to be forced through, was in fact designed as a method of allowing greater say to the smaller block members

Voting in the Council of the European Union - Wikipedia

And then you double down on the lack of understanding of the EU by mentioning the Brexit hyped tax situation. Which the UK already implemented??? See below.

And frankly can anyone explain to me why they should be against the EUs anti tax avoidance program??

But the rules are, in fact, all already part of UK law. A small number of them will not come into effect until 1 January, but that would have happened anyway whether or not the UK was a member of the EU.
The EU's Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (Atad) is an attempt to make sure companies (especially big digital companies and other multinationals) pay enough tax.
There are five aspects to the rules. Three of them were largely already part of UK law before the EU started working on its directive (a few tweaks have been needed to bring them into line with the EU version). They are:

• General anti-abuse rule - makes complicated plans to reduce tax bills ineffective, even if there are no specific rules against the particular scheme
• "Controlled foreign companies" - means if companies shift profits to companies they own in lower-tax countries, the profits will still be taxed in the country of the parent company
• Exit tax rules - stops EU-based companies moving new products to lower-tax countries just before their development is completed to avoid tax

The other two parts were added to UK law in response to the directive and have already been passed. They are:

• Corporate interest restriction - stops a company reducing the tax it has to pay by paying excessive interest charges to another company, usually one that it owns in a different country
• Anti-hybrids rule - stops companies exploiting differences between countries' tax rules

While the UK is still in the EU, the EU could decide that the way the UK has implemented Atad is not consistent with the directive, but any changes would be unlikely to be huge, experts say.
So it's hard to find anything happening in January 2020 to these rules that looks significant enough to influence the speed at which some people might want to leave the EU.

 

[Kanga]

Can anyone confirm the date that the most recent accounts for the EU were audited, approved, and signed off as accurate?

 

[Camden]

The EU seems to be doing the Germans no harm Covid or no Covid saving more. ​

Private wealth in Germany reached record high in 2020. ​

The financial assets of private households in Germany reached a record value of 6.738 billion euros in the third quarter of 2020, the Deutsche Bundesbank announced last week. That is 108 billion euros or 1,6 percent more than in the previous quarter.

Private wealth in Germany reached record high in 2020

 

[35pluschips]

The EU seems to be doing the Germans no harm Covid or no Covid saving more. ​

Private wealth in Germany reached record high in 2020. ​

The financial assets of private households in Germany reached a record value of 6.738 billion euros in the third quarter of 2020, the Deutsche Bundesbank announced last week. That is 108 billion euros or 1,6 percent more than in the previous quarter.

Private wealth in Germany reached record high in 2020

The only thing is, other member states might be asking, how come?

 

[Akasya]

Well financed investment in production and manufacture...

Steve

 

[Chasey]

Can anyone confirm the date that the most recent accounts for the EU were audited, approved, and signed off as accurate?

Yes 2020

The whole "unaudited accounts" thing is of course a massive lie. They pretend there's no accountability when there has been a full and independent audit of accounts every year since 2007. They then say "they haven't been signed off" Which is again a massive lie.

The accounts are carried out every year and errors or misappropriation are logged. On average, this accounts for 2-4% of the budget.

This account can not be "signed off" as it's an error account. All large businesses have one. I have one and I am a small business.

Error accounts would include things like funds paid as grants which were later proved to be miss spent. There's an example of a farmer who got a grant for sheep farming but in fact, he didn't have any sheep.

So the main accounts which account for 96-98% of the EUs turn over are signed off and the error account is retained for further investigation. Some 103 people have been imprisoned for misappropriation of funds as a result.



Jon Danzig's World: Fact: The EU accounts ARE signed off

"The EU accounts have never been signed off": Really? | Richard Corbett

Is the EU’s budget ‘signed off’ by auditors? - Full Fact

Reality Check: Has the EU had its accounts signed off? - BBC News

 

[Camden]

Well financed investment in production and manufacture...

Steve

True Steve, added to Stable Government and good modern Union relationships

 

[Tenpin]

China deal damages EU’s human rights credibility, MEPs to say​

Full Story

Extract:
European commission will come under fire over agreement that is already causing tensions with US.

Transatlantic tensions over how to handle China will come into the open next week when MEPs condemn the European commission for rushing to sign a controversial investment agreement with China that they say undermines the EU’s credibility on human rights.

 

[Chasey]

China deal damages EU’s human rights credibility, MEPs to say​

Full Story

Extract:
European commission will come under fire over agreement that is already causing tensions with US.

Transatlantic tensions over how to handle China will come into the open next week when MEPs condemn the European commission for rushing to sign a controversial investment agreement with China that they say undermines the EU’s credibility on human rights.

Glass half full or half empty situation

In one perspective the EU has demanded significant improvements

On the other the EUs demands don't go far enough

My personal heartfelt view is no trade with the EU unless there's parity on civil and workers rights and conditions.

My personal business man's view is this is a good deal and baby steps on the other issue

Which way I care to look at it depends a lot on my mood

 

[35pluschips]

Glass half full or half empty situation

In one perspective the EU has demanded significant improvements

On the other the EUs demands don't go far enough

My personal heartfelt view is no trade with the EU unless there's parity on civil and workers rights and conditions.

My personal business man's view is this is a good deal and baby steps on the other issue

Which way I care to look at it depends a lot on my mood

You did post Chasey that in four years time the UK would realize its mistake and...??
Surely you're not thinking of a Party taking us back into the EU.

 

[Chasey]

You did post Chasey that in four years time the UK would realize its mistake and...??
Surely you're not thinking of a Party taking us back into the EU.

Not in 4 years no

Initial moves will be towards greater alignment to the point we might as well have not left, then we will start trying to get a seat back at the big table.

Trouble is, will they want us?

 

[35pluschips]

Not in 4 years no

Initial moves will be towards greater alignment to the point we might as well have not left, then we will start trying to get a seat back at the big table.

Trouble is, will they want us?

We don't know what the state of play will be like in the EU in four years plus time.

 

[Jaycey]

You did post Chasey that in four years time the UK would realize its mistake and...??
Surely you're not thinking of a Party taking us back into the EU.

Four years? If general sentiment on here is any indication then seems people have already realised their mistake.
And surely it will again be the will of the people rather than a political party that will make a U-turn.
But as Chasey has said "Trouble is, will they want us?".

 

[35pluschips]

Four years? If general sentiment on here is any indication then seems people have already realised their mistake.
And surely it will again be the will of the people rather than a political party that will make a U-turn.
But as Chasey has said "Trouble is, will they want us?".

The people have already decided, Labour or Conservatives are not putting rejoin or another referendum on the table. Just how will the people make a U-turn without a Party proposal/policy?
General sentiment on here is nothing to go by, remain are still remain and leave are still leave.

 

[Jaycey]

The people have already decided, Labour or Conservatives are not putting rejoin or another referendum on the table

The people decided back in 2016 due to government misinformation. Now that the wheat is separated from the chaff things might well be viewed differently.​

Just how will the people make a U-turn without a Party proposal/policy?

In other countries mass protests have been successful in instigating change. Your government was reluctant to make a decision and passed the buck to the masses via referendum - IMO a big mistake. Should there be a U-turn my best guess is that it will be by another referendum.​

General sentiment on here is nothing to go by, remain are still remain and leave are still leave.

Really? I notice that several previous Leave supporters have gone quiet – seems they may have doubts as to the promised Brexit benefits eg:​

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Err, can someone please help me out on this?​

 

[35pluschips]

The people decided back in 2016 due to government misinformation. Now that the wheat is separated from the chaff things might well be viewed differently.In other countries mass protests have been successful in instigating change. Your government was reluctant to make a decision and passed the buck to the masses via referendum - IMO a big mistake. Should there be a U-turn my best guess is that it will be by another referendum.Really? I notice that several previous Leave supporters have gone quiet – seems they may have doubts as to the promised Brexit benefiErr, can someone please help me out on this?​

You're miles off the mark Jaycey, a simple question for you, which of the two main Parties will go into the 2024 General Election on the ticket of rejoining/referendum the EU? Because without that happening, how the hell is the UK supposed to rejoin.

Mass protests?????? We had mass protests.........at the polling station, that's how it works here, we don't need to gun people down to get change.
Leave supporters have gone quiet.............because its over, the votes have been counted & we left.

 

[Camden]

You're miles off the mark Jaycey, a simple question for you, which of the two main Parties will go into the 2024 General Election on the ticket of rejoining/referendum the EU? Because without that happening, how the hell is the UK supposed to rejoin.

Mass protests?????? We had mass protests.........at the polling station, that's how it works here, we don't need to gun people down to get change.
Leave supporters have gone quiet.............because its over, the votes have been counted & we left.

You are right no party will go into 2024 on the ticket of re-joining. The reason, is the electorate is fed up with Brexit, and the years of divisiveness, lies, damage and inept negotiation which was neither expected when voting .