Shock admission by EU : ‘We have no level playing field’

The EU demands the UK does one thing, but does the opposite

Commission’s own 2020 Single Market scoreboard gives out 166 red & yellow cards to its members

The UK was one of the top performers but benefited the least, says the EU

Against a background of the EU continuing to demand that the UK obey all manner of ‘Level Playing Field’ restrictions in return for a trade deal, it transpires that the EU’s own playing field is in fact an “uneven landscape”, according to its own admission.

Not only that, but the UK was the top performing major country in the EU last year, despite getting the least out of Single Market membership.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Key findings of the 2020 Single Market Scoreboard include:

“Uneven enforcement of single market rules”
“An uneven landscape for Single Market enforcement”
The number of infringement procedures against Member States has grown
EU legislation was incompletely or incorrectly transposed
59 red cards were issued – only one of these was to the UK
Worst performing countries were Italy, Spain, France and Austria

Yet despite obeying the rules:-

“The UK has the lowest trade integration in the single market for goods
and the third lowest trade integration for services.”

- Official 2020 EU Single Market Scoreboard for 2019, EU Commission, 03 July 2020

The Single Market Scoreboard provides a detailed overview of how EU Single Market rules were applied in the European Union in 2019. It evaluates how Member States have performed as regards market openness, governance tools as well as in specific policy areas, based on a number of selected indicators. The findings are presented in the form of a "traffic light” chart, by attributing red, yellow, and green cards.

In its final full year as part of the EU, the United Kingdom received just one red card, compared to Italy (6), Spain (5), France (5), Austria (4), Netherlands (3), and Germany (3).

Observations

For years Brexit Facts4EU.Org has been monitoring the EU's annual Single Market Scoreboard. For all those years we have observed the UK performing very well against all the measures, and yet receiving the least benefit from Single Market membership.

The latter point is not just our opinion. It is what the EU Commission itself says, and it is based on the EU’s own trade integration figures.

So, the United Kingdom has stuck to the rules more than any other major EU country, and yet has gained the least.

Is it not extraordinary that Michel Barnier and his EU colleagues have whined on incessantly about the need for the UK to obey its “Level Playing Field” provisions, when that is exactly what the UK has been doing, compared to the other major member states?

And is it not even more extraordinary that the United Kingdom is the country which has benefited the least from Single Market membership?

Making Michel feel at home on Monday

On Monday Michel Barnier and his eurocracy will descend on London for the first time in these UK-EU ‘trade talks’. This a great opportunity to dominate the ‘landscape’. We propose that David Frost, UK Chief Negotiator, get some blow-ups of the following, and put them up on the walls in each meeting room.

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P.S. It's the Fourth of July

We would, as usual, like to wish a very happy Independence Day to all our American readers.

[ Sources: EU Commission report issued 03 July ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sat 04 July 2020

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Reader Comments 16

1. Not4EU, London , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 08:18:

On this day in 1776 the United States crashed out of the British Empire without a 'deal' or 'level playing field'. I wonder what happened to them?
Happy Independence Day to any American readers.

2. J. Slater , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 09:36:

So the EU has failed, by its own admission. Not only on its own dismal performance but also on Brexit talks. Shambolic and not representing the people of Europe whose lives and livelihoods they are knowingly destroying.

3. Brexiter Braintree Essex , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 09:47:

This should be the last round of negotiations, if the EU still insist in not recognising the UK as an independent sovereign country,we should just terminate the talks.There can be no compromise on fishing,European Court involvement and level playing field demands. Frost and his negotiating team are wasting their valuable time.Time that would be better spent talking to other countries who want a trade deal with the UK,who don't demand free movement,fishing rights,and that the UK obeys their tax laws and court rulings.The UK is,in the main a law abiding country, we obey the rulings of treaties and obligations, we don't try to circumvent them.That is one reason the UK civil service loved the EU, they just interpreted the laws handed down from the EU Commission as tablets of stone from God, whatever the consequences to the UK's national interests.The sooner the UK is free from this restrictive organisation the better, we can rebuild our economy and trade using laws written by legislators in our Parliament.

4. Peter G , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 12:39:

Level playing field in Europe is a fantasy, and the evidence shows this.

5. Ashley Great Britain , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 13:33:

We don't want a level playing field of any description.
We want to compete and out do the EU in all areas.
(That's exactly what they don't want)
The UK will get an overhaul bringing wealth strength and influence home.
We could never spread our wings being in the EU.
Roll on the great prosperity that we deserve.

6. JonL , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 17:25:

I don't find any of this surprising. We are better at obeying rules we have agreed to? Well, that's exactly why Europe needs to impose this daft collective punishment system on itself and we don't. It's also why we are in a very strong position to tell the EU "We will voluntarily align with those standards that make sense, but it is at our option, and you can keep your toy Courts for yourselves".
And the entire business about "rules to make sure the UK keeps to the rules" is just what a psychologist would call projection. The EU knows very well that the cheating is on their side, so they claim that we are the problem, to feel better about themselves. It's on a par with their claim that after the UK helped free Europe twice in a century, *they* invented Peace.

7. JonL , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 18:36:

It hasn't happened yet, but the level playing field could become one of those "be careful what you wish for" issues in Europe. Italy is now complaining that taxes are being collected in EU countries, not so much for what economic activity takes place, but simply because they have set low corporate tax levels. Roberto Rustichelli, president of the Italian Antitrust Authority said this week "It cannot be denied that Ireland, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg collect around 270 billion (U.S.) dollars in sidetracked profits" meaning profits generated elsewhere in the EU, but redirected to those low-tax members.
Meanwhile, the frugal four have discovered that the economic stimulus package will help member states like Italy, but will be paid for by themselves. And Merkel is warning Italy that if they don't get on and borrow the money, it will go elsewhere, but of course her anxiety is because Italy is a valuable German export market, and so much of the money Italy can borrow eventually comes back to Germany anyway.
The smart way to handle these conflicts would be to estimate a money value for each issue - low taxes, cheap loans, export earnings and so on - and do trade-offs. But if individual members do trade-offs, why exactly do you need an EU?

8. Trade Law , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 18:48:

The single market has brought very tangible benefits to European citizens, estimated to amount to 8.5% of EU GDP: affordable air travel, the end of roaming charges, enhanced job opportunities in a continent-wide labour market, consumer rights that offer a high level of protection across borders.For European companies, the single market has meant opportunities to scale up and expand their activities across the EU. Globally, it has given Europe the leverage of a 512-million-strong market, as recently shown by international efforts to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation. All businesses are granted complete freedom to do business in other single market countries, the same goes for the consumers who wish to purchase goods in other countries outside their own without incurring additional tariffs. According to the European Commission website, the single market accounts for up to 500 million consumers and 21 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also accounts for 70% of all economic activity within the EU. This would point towards the single market being a massive success and helping all member states to prosper. " Northern Ireland will remain aligned to a limited set of rules related to the EU's Single Market in order to avoid a hard border:" UK Gov...

9. Jon P , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 19:06:

I seem motocross circuits more for level than the EU level playing field!!! 😂

10. JonL , Saturday, July 04, 2020, 19:57:

Trade Law: I do hope that you did not take the trouble to type that all in yourself. It was unconvincing pablum five years ago, and remains that today.
Ah, no. I see you lifted it, cut and paste, entirely from www.eesc.europa.eu, which is an European Economic and Social Committee online magazine, and which bills itself as "An official website of the European Union".
On the web, it is traditional, when you lift large chunks of text from a source, to acknowledge where you lifted it from, and especially not to attribute to the UK Government, text you actually took from the EU.

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