{"id":9585,"date":"2016-11-28T13:09:29","date_gmt":"2016-11-28T13:09:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/?p=9585"},"modified":"2016-11-28T16:48:59","modified_gmt":"2016-11-28T16:48:59","slug":"brexit-eea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/brexit-eea\/","title":{"rendered":"Brexit and the EEA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>
A ‘Remoaner’ in full cry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ‘Remoaners’ are at it again. \u00a0As part of their anti-Brexit campaign for the UK to stay in the EU, they intend to launch a legal challenge<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This one is not over Article 50\u00a0of the Lisbon Treaty<\/a><\/strong> but over a certain\u00a0Article 127<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Confused? Article 127 is the exit clause for the\u00a0European Economic Area.<\/p>\n

The so-called ‘Hard Brexit’ involves leaving the European Union’s Single Market and its Customs Union.\u00a0A ‘Soft Brexit’ would stay in them,\u00a0making the vote in June to ‘Leave’ the EU of no consequence.<\/p>\n

So just where does the European Economic Area fit in?<\/p>\n

OK. \u00a0Let’s draw it all together.<\/p>\n

CUTTING THROUGH THE JARGON<\/strong><\/p>\n

The EU’s own website says<\/a><\/strong>:\u00a0‘The Single Market<\/strong> refers to the EU as one territory without any internal borders or other regulatory obstacles to the free movement of goods and services. … The European Single Market is one of the EU\u2019s greatest achievements. … The Single Market is at the heart of the European project …’ \u00a0It also allows the free movement of people, but they are a bit coy about admitting that.<\/p>\n

The BBC explains<\/a><\/strong>: ‘A customs union<\/strong> is a form of trade agreement between two or more countries. \u00a0It means they decide not to impose tariffs (taxes on imports) on each other’s goods and agree to impose common external tariffs on goods from countries outside their customs union. \u00a0Setting common external tariffs is what distinguishes a customs union from a free trade area.’<\/p>\n

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states<\/a><\/strong>: ‘The European Economic Area<\/strong> (EEA) unites the EU Member States and the three EEA EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) into an Internal Market governed by the same basic rules. These rules aim to enable goods, services, capital, and persons to move freely about the EEA in an open and competitive environment, a concept referred to as the four freedoms.’<\/p>\n

The UK Government confirms the EEA allows\u00a0Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to be part of the EU\u2019s Single Market. \u00a0It goes on<\/a><\/strong>: ‘Switzerland is neither an EU nor EEA member but is part of the single market – this means Swiss nationals have the same rights to live and work in the UK as other EEA nationals.’<\/p>\n

THE UK IS A CONTRACTING PARTY TO THE EEA AGREEMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n

The UK signed the EEA Agreement in Porto on 2nd May 1992 and ratified it on 15th November 1993. \u00a0It\u00a0came into force on 1st January 1994. \u00a0The UK is a ‘contracting party’ to the EEA Agreement.<\/p>\n

Article 127 of the EEA Agreement says<\/a><\/strong>:\u00a0‘Each Contracting Party may withdraw from this Agreement provided it gives at least twelve months’ notice in writing to the other Contracting Parties.
\n‘Immediately after the notification of the intended withdrawal, the other Contracting Parties shall convene a diplomatic conference in order to envisage the necessary modifications to bring to the Agreement.’<\/p>\n

In the face of the legal challenge<\/a><\/strong> about to be launched by a pro-single market think tank with no working website called ‘British Influence<\/a><\/strong>‘, the Government has maintained that EEA membership ends when the UK leaves the EU. \u00a0But that is not what the Agreement says. \u00a0So a bit like the Roundheads in the book ‘1066 and all that<\/a><\/strong>‘, the Remoaners in this case are ‘Right but Repulsive’. \u00a0(The Cavaliers, you will remember, were ‘Wrong but Wromantic’.)<\/p>\n

Where does this leave the UK Government? Quite simply, they must just get on with it and bring a short Bill before Parliament<\/a><\/strong> to leave the EU and trigger both Article 50 and Article 127. \u00a0Or they can add all that to the bill they have promised, dubbed the\u00a0‘Great Repeal Bill’<\/a><\/strong>. which will repeal the European Communities Act 1972.<\/p>\n

And if they lose the vote, they will be able to call a General Election and win it.<\/p>\n

WE DO NOT NEED TRADE AGREEMENTS TO TRADE<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bible reminds us that nations do not need trade agreements to trade. \u00a0Ezekiel 27 is an important chapter which sets down in minute detail the extensive network of ocean-going international trade\u00a02,600 years ago. \u00a0It was centred around the wicked city of Tyre and included metals from the British Isles:<\/p>\n

Ezekiel 27:12 Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All trade agreements do is reduce tariffs, which may or may not be of benefit. \u00a0The EU exports more to the UK than it imports from us, and German car-makers will not want a trade war. \u00a0The Bible also reminds us that leaders have to trust God and make decisions. \u00a0First Moses then the Lord told Joshua:<\/span><\/p>\n

Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In particular, rulers have to take the initiative, set a standard and lead the people:<\/p>\n

2Chronicles 20:3 \u00a0And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.<\/strong><\/p>\n

PRAY that Theresa May, David Davis, Boris Johnson and Dr Liam Fox will get on with it and take the UK properly out of the European Union with its pretensions to continue the antichrist project of Babel. \u00a0View our video:<\/p>\n

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