Excellent letter from the Yorkshire Post 7-10-05

Country's life outside the EU From: Douglas Hartley, Irving Terrace, Clayton, Bradford. John Murray (Yorkshire Post, September 24) writes: "If we were to get out (of the EU) – somehow we would still, like Norway and Switzerland, have to abide by EU regulations if we wished to do business with the other more sensible states." I make no comment on the words "more sensible", but offer some data on Norway's position. Norway, not an EU member, participates in the EU Internal Market via a Free Trade Agreement (European Economic Area Agreement, 1984). Unlike EU members, Norway retains full sovereignty over its trade policy inside and outside the EU. It sits and votes at World Trade Organisation meetings in its own right. At the Seattle WTO 1989 Conference, Commonwealth countries were individually represented. The UK delegation, however, had no independent voice or vote in the forum, having to accept as its representative the EU Commissioner Pascal Lamy. Permanent joint committees with the EU enable Norway to participate in EU trade-related legislation, and in its subsequent supervision. Norway retains a veto in these joint committees. Norway remains outside the Common Fisheries Policy, controlling its non-coastal waters – its fishing grounds – unlike Britain. It is not constrained by the Common Agricultural Policy, Economic and Monetary Union, EU Justice and Home Affairs Policies, or the EU Customs Union. Norway's per capita GDP is 82 per cent higher than that of the eurozone.