The naughty EU boys & girls – UK barely registers on EU's list
Brexit Facts4EU.Org reveals the uncomfortable truth that the UK does obey the law
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2020
23 EU countries have a worse record than the UK in implementing EU law
Unreported by the BBC, Sky or ITN, on Friday (31 Jul 2020) the EU Commission released its report on the compliance of the 28 member countries with the EU’s laws and directives up to the end of last year (2019).
The announcement was entitled:
“Member States' compliance with EU law in 2019: more work needed”
The UK came fifth - 23 EU countries had performed worse as at 31 Dec 2019
Despite the UK’s vote to leave the EU over four years ago, the UK comes out smelling of roses. This is highly relevant, as it relates to the EU’s demand that the UK maintains a “level playing field” with the rest of the EU. The EU is still insisting on legal guarantees from the UK, and yet its own report on its remaining member countries shows just how law-abiding the UK really is.
Here is what the EU Commission itself says:
“The effective enforcement of EU law matters … in order ensure a level-playing field across the internal market.”
- EU Commission, 31 July 2020
Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary
EU Member States' compliance with EU law at end-2019 - official EU report
- Infringement cases against the United Kingdom open on 31 Dec 2019: 66
- Infringement cases against all EU countries open on 31 Dec 2019: 1,564
- The UK represents only 4.2% of the total
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org - click to enlarge
New cases last year (2019)
- New infringement cases opened against the United Kingdom in 2019: 30
- New infringement cases against all EU countries opened in 2019: 797
- The UK represents only 3.8% of the total
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org - click to enlarge
The EU Commission reported on Friday that “the number of new infringement cases increased by over 20% compared to the previous year.” This is a massive jump in just one year.
- Worst offenders for new infringement cases in 2019: Spain, Italy and Greece
- Worst offenders for late transposition of directives in 2019: Bulgaria, Belgium, Greece and Cyprus
- Source: EU Commission report, 31 July 2020
Monsieur Barnier is based in Brussels
It is interesting to note that the home of the EU monolith – the tiny country of Belgium – is one of the top three offenders cited by the EU Commission for failing to put EU law into practice in 2019.
So what was the UK penalised for?
The EU Court addressed the preliminary rulings to the United Kingdom judiciary and this is their top one:
“The concept of a ‘direct descendant’ of a citizen of the Union does not include a minor who has been placed in permanent legal guardianship under the Algerian kafala system, because that placement does not create any parent-child relationship between them. However, where the EU citizen has exercised his/her right to free movement to a Member State other than the one of which he/ she is a national, the citizen’s Member State of residence must facilitate the minor’s entry to and residence in its territory as one of the ‘other family members’ pursuant to the Free Movement Directive.”
So the top-most preliminary ruling against the UK from the EU’s Court (ECJ/CJEU) is that it has somehow failed to address the rights of an Algerian under the Algerian kafala system – whatever that is.
Observations
Perhaps Monsieur Barnier should look closer to home before claiming the UK cannot be trusted and trying to impose outrageous restrictions on the UK.
Currently the EU is still attempting to strangle the UK and prevent it from becoming a fully-free, independent, and sovereign country. The EU is still trying to force the UK to obey its laws on what it calls its “Level Playing Field”. Bizarrely it is doing so as part of the supposed trade talks, despite the fact that the WTO already has measures in place which prevent unfair competition.
One of the arguments used by Mr Barnier and the EU Commission is that it can’t trust the UK to behave in a reasonable manner. Above we have shown definitively – using the EU Commission’s own reports – that the vast majority of the EU member countries (23 in total) had a worse record last year in obeying EU laws than did the United Kingdom.
As an independent country the UK will continue to behave honourably. This is what the British do. We consider it insulting that the EU has repeatedly called into question the integrity of our country and we are pleased that the British Government and Chief Negotiator David Frost have rebutted this. We hope they will do so even more strongly, once they have read our article above.
Where are the BBC, Sky, and ITN on this?
Did you see this on the BBC, Sky, or ITN? No. You read it here on Brexit Facts4EU.Org. We hope that what we do is worthwhile. Certainly many tens of thousands of readers (including some MPs) wouldn’t keep coming back if we simply regurgitated what you can read elsewhere.
Sadly this takes a lot of work and we have no corporate funding. If you can help us today with a donation – no matter how small – we would be immensely grateful. We want to go back to our day jobs but feel we must see this through, after battling for nearly five years. Thank you so much if you can help.
[ Sources: EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.
Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Tues 04 Aug 2020
Click here to go to our news headlines
And please scroll down to COMMENT on the above article.
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
Something to say about this? Scroll down for reader comments