Could tweaking Norway's business friendly model prove to be the solution to Brexit?
@fyrstikken power
In formal terms Norway and Iceland are members of the European Economic Area (EEA). EEA members have to follow the way the EU operates in terms of their access to the single market, and do not have any direct influence on its policies. They operate more independently in other policy areas. It is a kind of associate membership of the EU – something that many people have argued might also suit the UK.
The second key issue would be how a major economy, which is not an EU member, would interact with non-EU members in terms of trade relationships. Norway is an example of a country that is inside the EEA, but has its own independent trade policy. Turkey is partially inside the customs union, but also has its own trade policy.
The UK, however, is a much larger economy than Norway and Turkey – the second largest in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. If we remain inside the single market and the customs union, we would need to have a significant say when the EU was negotiating trade agreements with third countries.
In my view, membership of the EEA appears a much better starting point for our Article 50 negotiations than the idea of the UK severing its ties with the single market and the customs union.
It would allow us to keep most existing trade relationships in place and would help to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland – which will now be very important to the political stability of a government dependent on an arrangement with the DUP.
Even if we remain within the EEA, there will still be some very significant issues to be discussed and agreed in the Article 50 negotiations. The most important and difficult would be how we establish a suitable immigration system that meets the requirements of both the other 27 members of the EU and the UK.
The other two key issues would be the financial settlement and establishing satisfactory transitional arrangements for the UK’s future outside the European Union.
But the Article 50 discussions would be greatly simplified – and the prospects for a successful outcome greatly increased – if the option of the UK remaining a member of the European Economic Area can be brought back on to the negotiating table. Let us see what happens over the coming months. Full @fyrstikken power ahead for Brexit!
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I like Norway. A lot. They are our nearest neighbour here in Scotland!
I like Norway , specially Nordkapp!
Bergen is my place of choice ... it's only 5 hours from The Shetland Islands by ferry in Summer :)
Aurora Borealis from Nordkapp. Amazing!!!!!
Aurora Borealis from Shetland. Amazing too!!!!! :)
One day we will see!
Shetland is my favourite island in all of the UK!