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Originally Posted by OLD BOY
Just in case it has been lost on anyone here, banning chlorinated chicken will not mean that we cannot import American poultry. Chlorination is being phased out in the States in favour of lactic acid washing, which we already permit in relation to the sale of beef.
So this whole debate is irrelevant.
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It's not irrelevant. It is just one of many other EU rules that are merely protectionist in nature. If using lactic acid provides the same level of protection as chlorinated wash, then surely the EU will ban that as well, for the same reasons, whatever they might be.
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Originally Posted by jonbxx
That's what I am saying, if we want to be part of the WTO, there has to be a degree of level playing field rules in place. All it comes down to now, is how much further access we want to the EU markets and how much we are prepared to sacrifice to get that access. If nothing, at present it looks like WTO rules which, as I have said, includes those mild level playing field rules already in place.
I haven't really been taking part in the food standards chat but if you were to compare eastern Europe food with German food, then we know that all comply with a minimum standard at least set by the EU. If we relaxed our food standards below EU rules, then if businesses choose to import food that falls below those standards, then we won't be able to process and export to the that food to the EU without sophisticated rules of origin in place. It's our choice
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The EU is insisting on way beyond WTO rules and nothing whatsoever to do with trade.
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But the areas in which the EU is most insistent they must be maintained are:
- workers' rights
- environmental protection
- taxation
- state aid (or subsidies for business)
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Time and time again whenever these EU rules are introduced the issue of cheaper imports is used in the argument.
The notion of an EU imposed level playing field would also mean we couldn't block EU goods that didn't meet our own higher standards, if we were to introduce any. Eg in the past we had higher standards for UHT milk than the EU and blocked French imports that didn't meet those standards. Guess who had to give way. We would have to follow whatever rules they set.
The EU provides massive levels of state aid to whole countries, eg Poland 9billion/year.