meats wrote:EFTA is the way to go, just like Norway and Switzerland. That way we can control our borders without interference from Europe, we keep the trading bloc which is all that we really need from the EU, we won't have the French trying to ruin the City as they've said they've planned to do since a Frenchman was appointed European Finance Minister and we can make our own laws without interference from Brussels. Also none of these stupid EEA visas, the cheaper way for people to enter Britain having been refused for British visas in the past.
Hmpf.
EFTA = Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland
(link)
EEA = EU + EFTA - Switzerland
(link)
Schengen = EU + (Norway + Iceland + Switzerland + Liechtenstein + Monaco) - (UK + IRL + Bulgaria + Romania + Cyprus)
(link, good illustrative graph)
EFTA, EEA, EU and Schengen are all independent from each other. It´s possible to be a member of any combination of the above.
Now I´m not understanding the following:
1.
You say that "EFTA is the way to go, just like Norway and Switzerland. That way we can control our borders..."
How can Norway and Switzerland control their borders, being EFTA-members, while they´re still in Schengen? Maybe you picked a bad example there?
The only countries in Europe who can "control their borders" that I´m aware of are Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, San Marino and the Vatikan. (the list may not be 100% complete)
Good to know you want the UK to join the crème-de-la-crème of important and prosperous European countries
Furthermore, what would "controlling your own borders" have helped on really important occasions, such as
7/7 (link), where the perpetrators came from (born and bread) northern England?
I really wish it never happened and will never happen again, but wouldn´t international cooperation be more helpful than sitting on an island? (Unless you want to cap all international relations, such as North Korea)
2.
In the EFTA-context, you say "...we keep the trading bloc..."
EFTA comprises of four (4) countries as per above. Great "trading-block", enjoy trading
3.
The same in other words: You complain about "stupid EEA visas" - so what do you want? EEA-trade-block (with EEA visas) or an EFTA-tradeblock of 4?
Rgds, Christian