EXCLUSIVE: Latest EU propaganda survey shows that EU propaganda works - in part

Majority of Britons believe ‘defence of trade interests’ is better being handled by the EU

Highly-directed questions give the EU Commission more self-promotion material

For the latest Eurobarometer survey released by the EU Commission yesterday, 27,438 citizens in the 28 EU countries were asked a series of questions about their views on international trade.

In Part One of this two-part series, Brexit Facts4EU.Org considered the answer to one of the questions, which sums up the differences between the British and the EU27 when it comes to openness to the World. Most British people buy online globally, most EU27 citizens don’t.

In the second article of this series, Brexit Facts4EU.Org takes a look at the answers given by those surveyed in the UK to another important question. We also look at the types of questions asked – and NOT asked - by the EU Commission.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Evidence that the EU propaganda machine is doing its job

65% of people in the UK believe the EU is “more effective in defending the trade interests of its Member States in the World than Member States are when they act on their own”. Only 24% tend to disagree, or totally disagree.

What the EU asked – and what it DIDN’T ask

If the EU Commission had wanted to assess how it is doing on international trade, it could have done so. It didn’t, preferring to focus on some ’touchy-feely’ and leading questions which match its own agenda and which were likely to produce positive responses.

Let’s take the example we gave above. People were asked if they thought the EU is “more effective in defending the trade interests of its Member States in the World than Member States are when they act on their own”. Many people will have interpreted this question as being about trade protection, such as preventing the dumping of cheap Chinese steel.

Nowhere did the EU Commission ask about its own effectiveness in actually doing trade deals. It could have asked “The EU Commission has the sole right to do trade deals and prevents Member States from doing them. To what extent do you agree that this is in the best interests of your country?”

Or it could have asked: “The EU Commission has not concluded any ratified trade deals with the World’s five largest economies since the EU began. To what extent do you agree that this is not the fault of the EU Commission?”

What about the trade agreements which the EU cites as examples?

In one question, the EU Commission begins with a statement: “The EU has signed trade agreements with countries including Canada, Japan and Mexico.” It then goes on to present pro-EU statements about the EU’s trade agreements and invites the individual to agree with them. For example it starts these statements with “They strengthen the EU’s position as a world power.”

If we look at the three examples which the EU cites:-

The agreement with Canada still has not been ratified
The agreement with Japan still has a long way to go
And the agreement with Mexico was so bad that the EU is now having to negotiate a new agreement

Some tariffs in the EU-Japan ‘Economic Partnership Agreement’ will not be eliminated until 2035

To keep this short, let’s just look at the ‘Economic Partnership Agreement’ which the EU has finally negotiated with Japan. This has not yet been ratified by the 28 member countries of the EU. Nevertheless, it does contain proposed tariff reductions in both directions.

The entire agreement is many hundreds of pages long. On the assumption that readers are unlikely to want to wade in and read it in its entirety, we thought that highlighting one aspect of it might be useful. (Even we could not face reading the whole document, but we have read some significant parts of it.)

When it comes to eliminating tariffs, this is hardly an overnight affair. For the different categories of products covered, tariffs will slowly be reduced over periods of four, six, eight, 11, 13 and 16 years.

This means that for some UK exporters, tariffs will not be eliminated before the year 2035.

Observations

The EU’s latest ‘special Barometer’ was trumpeted by the EU Commission as proof that EU citizens are happy with its performance on trade deals.

Here was EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, on Wednesday:

”When I took office five years ago, there was a lot of criticism against international trade and how the Commission conducted trade negotiations. We therefore decided to reform the way we do trade policy. Through increased transparency, we wanted to create trust. This Eurobarometer survey proves that we were successful. Citizens feel more positive about trade today than ten years ago.”

Ms Malmström, a bureaucrat with no trade experience who was appointed by Jean-Claude Juncker to one of the most important jobs affecting businesses and jobs, at least admitted that there had been “a lot of criticism” about the Commission’s abilities to do trade deals.

Debunking EU propaganda

Sadly, the incessant EU propaganda – such as that contained in this latest EU report – is never debunked by the ardently pro-EU media across the continent and in the UK.

The simple fact is that for most of its existence the EU has been woeful at addressing the needs of business in exporting around the world. Indeed it is only since the EU Referendum was announced in the UK, and since a very few groups like ours were pointing out the EU Commission’s lamentable performance, that they started making an effort. It’s a shame that much of that new effort seems to have gone on propaganda.

The post-Brexit future

The three largest economies in the World outside the EU are now the USA, China, and India. The EU has failed to agree a trade deal with any of them.

If the United Kingdom can finally escape the shackles of an incompetent EU Commission and promote its own trade interests globally, it is inconceivable that it can do any worse than the EU has done.

The future can only be a great deal brighter with Brexit.

[ Sources: EU Commission Trade Directorate ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, 22 Nov 2019

Click here to go to our news headlines

And please scroll down to COMMENT on the above article.

Something to say about this? Scroll down for reader comments

Since before the EU Referendum, Brexit Facts4EU.Org
has been the most prolific researcher and publisher of Brexit facts in the world.

Supported by MPs, MEPs, & other groups, our work has impact.

We think facts matter. Please donate today, so that we can continue to ensure a clean Brexit is finally delivered.

Any credit card user

Quick One-off

From £5 - £1,000

Monthly

From £3 per month

Paypal Users Only - Choose amount first

Quick One-off

Monthly

PLEASE NOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT : You can write your comment under any existing comments below. After you have clicked to preview your comment, you MUST then click on the CAPTCHA system and send you comment, for it to be published. Thank you!

Reader Comments 4

1. Sydney Ashurst , Friday, November 22, 2019, 12:32:

More evidence that polls and the Media ask the questions to get the results they want.
Sherelle Jacobs from the DT as a panelist blows up Question Time as now run by Fiona Bruce.

2. Concerned , Friday, November 22, 2019, 12:44:

Better to follow the bookies they are more accurate. Pollsters are frequently wrong or they ask the wrong questions or they allow their biases to get in the way of the truth. I ignore all polls on politics.

3. Jon, Wales , Friday, November 22, 2019, 17:30:

Prior to referendum, and winning our hard fought demand for it, I urged people to ignore the polls, ignore big business, banks, other self interested party's, and politicians, for the country was deceived as a whole in the 1970's. Their majority number continued deceiving the electorate thereafter - which has been proven correct in the fullness of time (eg: Swinson and other elected anti-democrats).
I URGED PEOPLE TO VOTE WITH THEIR GUT INSTINCT and my views remain the same - now we have the expertise of Facts4EU.
Political elites fought against the British electorate because we didn't produce the answer they wanted.
Mr Cameron's Tory party won an overall majority so was effectively forced to hold our long-promised referendum - something previous PMs promised, then reneged on just as quickly once elected to the corridors of power.
THE ELECTORATE HAVE BEEN STITCHED UP BY POLITICIANS FOR DECADES, and you need only review the heavy defeats in parliament against the EU ('surrender') Treaty, and yet, Prime Minister Johnson is bringing back almost all of it to which he twice voted against. He now attempts to convince the country we should vote in favour of his 'surrender' Treaty when he KNOWS it will spell the end of our great country. Has he no conscience at all?
When history is written, the likes of Boris and those before him will not be viewed in a favourable light for handing our country on-a-plate to a foreign power. ANY Prime Minister choosing subservience is not worthy of the Office of PM?
As shown above, polls depend upon the question asked, as answers can be manipulated. Those of us with life experience can see this happening - younger generations, however, are being 'brainwashed' by unscrupulous politicians.
Corbyn is again deceiving students into thinking he'll wipe tuition fees when he KNOWS he will not (he lied to students prior to the last election to gain support, then reneged).
IGNORE THE POLLS AND VOTE WITH YOUR GUT FEELING

4. Barbara Jell , Saturday, November 23, 2019, 01:17:

IGNORE THE POLLS AND VOTE IN FULL ;POSSESSION OF THE FACTS AS PROVIDED BY THIS WEBSITE.
One woman I know is voting Labour because they have promised to double their policing of fox hunting!! - another wishes to Remain because her EX-PAT brother in France has had his pension reduced considerably because of Brexit turmoil, another wishes to remain because she has a 'gut' feeling! Laziness, gullibility and ignorance abound - if only normally sane people took the trouble to find out the FACTS they would head for the exit in droves. Not one of our main parties truly represents the people; they are corrupted and motivated by a self-serving craving for power
People will vote tactically, tribally and out of fear to prevent a Marxist government - but mostly people will vote in ignorance - apart from those who are aware of the facts such as our readers - unaware of the hideous reality of a monstrous Federalist dictatorship which is the EU and the cynical lies of our Establishment.
I fear we are missing a golden opportunity to 'drain the swamp' and we lack the courage to effect a beneficially seismic change in the political landscape of this country and its future, not least because ALL of our mainstream parties simply cannot be trusted.

Add comment:

Please note: Your email address is never published unless you choose to enter it.