Quote:
Originally Posted by OLD BOY
I'm not sure if some of you are being deliberately obtuse. My point was about the specifications for goods. From next year we want to be able to determine the specifications for goods coming into this country and those we export out. We don't want to be hidebound by EU rules that are there as protectionist measures by the EU..
Of course, when it comes to trade WITH the EU, they will want goods coming in to meet certain standards. Well, we already meet those standards, which is why it will not take so long for us to get a trade agreement, assuming the EU are not still in punishment mode.
If we were still subject to EU rules next year, we would not have a free hand on these matters in negotiating with other countries. It will be our decision, not theirs, if we want to import chlorinated chicken from the States (which I would remind everyone is safer than EU salmonella-covered chicken).
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You are absolutely right in once we have completely left the EU, we can set any standards we want. At present, as you say, we are fully aligned with EU standards and if we produce goods that do not conform with those standards, there is a dispute system in place.
However, what happens if we decide to change our standards, for example. letting the famous chlorinated chicken in? All of a sudden, we are no longer aligned and goods will be stopped at the border and cannot be sold. This of course works both ways - the EU could change standards making goods produced in the EU unsellable in the UK.
Without a dynamic alignment, there could be many banana skins down the line