Quote:
Originally Posted by 1andrew1
I reiterate that that is an impossible question as no one outside the negotiating team has sufficient information to know what the UK's true red lines and objectives are.
My objectives, as you know are to put the economy first as a strong economy enables services like our armed forces and nursing homes to be properly funded and it's beneficial for people's health and in keeping crime rates low. This necessitates as close a deal with the EU as possible so we should elect for a deal like the EFTA countries have without the Schengen area. I'm happy to sacrifice notional elements of sovereignty to join NATO, to join the United Nations, to join EFTA and to join Five Eyes.
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Of the three highlighted there is no notional sovereignty involved. We not only joined each one as a sovereign nation but helped set them up. Each of which we can if we wish (I wouldn't want to) withdraw from without penalty.
NATO is a common defence originally against Soviet Russia and also includes the US and Canada. It could do nothing about the Russian annexation of part of the Ukraine as they weren't a member state.
The UN, again we are a founding member and along with the others have the power of veto over whatever any other country would like to do along with China, France, Russia, and the United States. So anyhing that may impinge on our sovereignty could just be vetoed.
5 Eyes is is an intelligence alliance that has nothing to do with the rest of Europe it is made up of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
So no notional surrender or otherwise of sovereignty there. They are agreements that can be ended at any time with no penalty, not that I would wish it.
EFTA was started by the 7 nations that the EEC (then) did not accept into their agreement back in 1960 including the UK (gotta love Charles de Gaul), it now consists only of 4. However I digress.
1960 The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is founded by Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, to promote closer economic cooperation and free trade in Europe..
1961 Finland becomes an associate member of EFTA. The EFTA Consultative Committee is established (representatives of trade unions and employers' organisations).
1966 Full free trade in industrial products is achieved between the EFTA States.
1970 Iceland becomes a member of EFTA.
Then it starts going pear shaped
1972 Denmark and the United Kingdom leave EFTA to join the European Economic Community (EEC). The remaining EFTA States sign bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with the EEC during the 1970s.
1977 The EFTA Parliamentary Committee is established. Tariffs on industrial goods in trade are eliminated between the EEC and the EFTA States.
1979 EFTA's first FTA is signed with Spain.
1984 (here we go) The Luxembourg Declaration on broader cooperation between the EEC and EFTA is signed.
1985 Portugal leaves EFTA to become a member of the EEC. (why?).
1986 Finland becomes a full member of EFTA.
1989 Negotiations start on a European Economic Space, later to become the European Economic Area (EEA). An agreement on
free trade in fish between the EFTA States is signed. (oh look, FISH!)
1991 Liechtenstein becomes a member of EFTA. An FTA is signed with Turkey, EFTA's oldest agreement still in force. A further 12 FTAs are signed in the 1990s, of which three are still in force (Israel, Morocco and the Palestinian Authority).
The others, all of which are with Central and Eastern European countries, lapse when those countries join the European Union (EU). (Oh bugger!)
1992 The Agreement on the European Economic Area is signed in Oporto, Portugal.
Switzerland rejects participation in the EEA by referendum.
1994 The EEA Agreement enters into force between the EU and five EFTA States. An EEA Financial Mechanism for the reduction of economic and social disparities in the EEA is established for the period 1994 to 1998. (EFTA no longer an independant trading area).
1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden leave EFTA to join the EU. Liechtenstein becomes a full participant in the EEA Agreement together with Iceland and Norway. (EFTA's shrinking).
2001 The updated EFTA Convention is signed in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, entering into force a year later. (There's only a few countries left).
There's a few thing inbetween relating to the EEA but.
2010 Iceland begins accessions negotiations with the EU. The EEA EFTA Forum of Elected Representatives of Local and Regional Authorities is established.
And that is the effective end of EFTA as an independant trade alliance.