Why big business is all for the EU.

armour

A lot of pro EU zealots jumped on that letter, in monday's Independent, signed by leaders of big business about how much worse off we would be outside the EU. I made the point that of course big business is all for it because it enables them to gain a competitive advantage over the small guy & used a story about the EU carving up the "restaurant table oliveoil market" to sut their big business mates.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10076201/EU-drops-olive-oil-jug-ban-after-public-outcry.html

I'm pleased to say that this particular piece of nonsense has been pulled, but the "big business" olive oil producers' spokesman's comments are highly illuminating.

Graham_Devon

I honestly thought the olive oil thing was a joke?

Something you'd see written on the daily mash.

Putting aside the fact that it isn't a joke, indeed, the big olive oil producers are furious its been u-turned, as they would have been able to charge more for the exact same thing.

Surely theres got to be a hint of joke here though!?

Love how those with vested interests in this suggest its "absolutely ludicrous to back down on opposition".

Tells you all you need to know.

armour

If there is a joke, the joke's on us.
I'd never heard of COPA COGECA before so I googled them & guess what?
http://esharp.eu/jargon/copa-cogeca/

They're an EU lobby group, almost as old as the EU itself, which is responsible for promoting the ridiculous CAP.

ILW

The EU is great for large corporations as the miles of stupid regulations and rules cost much more to administer (pro rata) for smaller firms, therefore giving the corporates a competitive advantage. Never get a pro EU legislation junkie to see that though.

RJP33

So Switzerland do most of their trade with Europe, but being outside the EU have the opportunity to do deals like this - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22663819.

Surely there's a middle ground for the UK here, the EU is holding us back.

londonTiger

This is the problem.. We get all the restrictions of EU but not enough power. I don't understand why the Irish tax loophole can be used to penalize other European countries.

I don't understand why the EU doesn't say bull**** ireland, you cant undercut the rest of Europe with your next to nothing corporation.

Eu wants to act as a single country for daft things like olive oil bottles, but can't act as a single country/entity with more pressing concerns like countries screwing the rest of Europe out of tax revenues because they're willing to lowball everyone else and take a minuscule amount.

It's like prostutes at a brothel all charging £100. Then one comes along and charges a tenner. Then none of the punters are willing to pay £100 and go for the £10 prossie.

antrobus

londonTiger wrote: »

....I don't understand why the EU doesn't say bull**** ireland, you cant undercut the rest of Europe with your next to nothing corporation.

There were fears that the Lisbon Treaty (2007) would enable tax harmonisation across the EU; misgivings about EU-wide taxation were a significant factor in Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by referendum in 2008. Negotiations to encourage Irish voters to accept the Treaty at a second referendum in 2009 included a promise not to move towards tax harmonisation.

http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/FSECON/EC3.htm

londonTiger wrote: »

....
Eu wants to act as a single country for daft things like olive oil bottles, but can't act as a single country/entity with more pressing concerns like countries screwing the rest of Europe out of tax revenues because they're willing to lowball everyone else and take a minuscule amount.

It's not that they haven't tried. They've been trying since 1997. Only every time it got mentioned this sort of thing would happen:-

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair told the European Council in Tampere on October 15 that he remains hostile to tax harmonisation in the European Union, which, he believes would be damaging to the interests of the City of London.

http://www.europolitics.info/tony-blair-reaffirms-hostility-to-tax-harmonisation-artr150258-30.html

Blair added that “there is no way we are going to have tax harmonisation or other people deciding on our tax rights.”
http://www.tax-news.com/news/Blair_Pledges_To_Fight_Tax_Harmonisation____16365.html

TruckerT

londonTiger wrote: »

It's like prostutes at a brothel all charging £100. Then one comes along and charges a tenner. Then none of the punters are willing to pay £100 and go for the £10 prossie.

I always used to prefer the £100 ones - they usually managed to retain a sense of humour and were less likely to be diseased!

TruckerT

londonTiger

TruckerT wrote: »

I always used to prefer the £100 ones - they usually managed to retain a sense of humour and were less likely to be diseased!

TruckerT

i wouldn't know, i just came up with the example out of the blue.