[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

We need to understand and accept the new trading reality with the EU, whether it's what Raab etc promised us or not. If anyone believed that the EU would roll over and give the UK a deal that made it economically beneficial to leave then I'm sure that time has long passed.

Regarding molluscs, this comes from a phytosanitary standard for imported bi-valve shellfish that is implemented globally. The US, Japan, etc have the same rules.

Bi-valve shellfish are filter-feeders. They suck in water, extract the nutrients, expel it. As I'm sure you know, eating bad shellfish from poor waters always ends badly. This can be prevented by depuration. When the UK was a member of the EU, it was very happy for the EU to require pre-import depuration of imported shellfish from Class 2 waters. Firstly, because it was a good idea on health grounds, and secondly, it benefited UK bi-valve shellfish producers and penalised those from outside the EU.

However, we were not awake enough to grasp that once outside the EU Customs Union, UK shellfish in the EU would be imported and hence we have to perform certified depuration to enable the shellfish to be exported.

The EU is a big trading partner on our doorstep but also a competitor. Obviously, it will work in its member countries' best interests. Signing a trade deal for manufactured goods which the EU has a surplus on does not grant us equivalence in services which we have a surplus on. If the EU can nab some of that business for itself then it will.

I advise you review my sentence about Boris. No strawman there but let me expand. Boris knows that we're a high-cost, high-value country. There's no point trying to slash legislation and become a low-cost country. Hence, achieving a level-playing field is not a problem for the UK so not a tough point to yield on.

The EU catches molluscs in the same waters as we do and it seems illogical that they should impose rules on our catches that are not imposed on theirs.

After all, the EU has made much of the special case of the UK's proximity to the EU. Molluscs should come into that category for obvious reasons. The fact that it doesn't is evidence of the EU's intent on punishing the UK for Brexit.

They are the enemy. Simples - and your advocacy does you no favours.