Killing off the Common Market

Remember the Common Market? It was the excuse to get 27 European sovereign nation states to sacrifice their democracies and independence for the illusion of free trade and its resultant wealth. Instead we got corrupt and voraciously incompetent appointed leaders, never-ending regulation, bureaucratic petty tyranny and a formative authoritarian state otherwise known as the EU. Well the EU marches along as the Lisbon Treaty still stalking the landscape gives proof, but what of the Common Market? Look at this wheeze from the Germans as quoted here in the FT: Car dealers reported that customers had filled the showrooms after the government announced plans, effective from January 14, to issue certificates worth €2,500 ($3,300, £2,360) for those who scrap cars at least nine years old and buy new or almost new ones. Can I get $3,300 worth of euros to trade in my car in France from the Germans? Must I then buy a German car or can it be for a Nissan from Sunderland? No, apparently not for later in the same article it goes on to explain:

France had also seen an upturn in sales after the government introduced a bonus of €1,000 at the beginning of December for people scrapping a car at least 10 years old and replacing it with a new vehicle with carbon dioxide emissions of less than 160g/km.

The French government claims its scrapping bonus will lift car and van sales by 100,000 in 2009.

So when the detail of Lord Mandelson's car rescue package announced last evening eventually becomes clear, how much will the UK Government give me for an old banger? From the piffling amount mentioned, probably not much more than a bag of sweeties in the glove pocket, hardly a giant incentive to buy a Jag or a clunking great Land Rover is it!

So is this still a Common Market for cars? Seems less than an even playing field to me! I trust none of these moves will in any way distort competition!