Is leaving the EU a good thing for boating?

[Nostrodamus]

With the recent news there may well be a referendum on Europe how much difference would leaving or staying make?
Would there be a lot more hassle sailing within Europe?

 

[bedouin]

Yes there would be a lot of hassle - from from the Europeans but from UKBA. eBorders would come back and we couldn't even sail from Dover to Calais without filing a plan weeks in advance

 

[Nostrodamus]

The UK leaving Europe might also cause problems in Europe with the result being that they would blame the UK and people using the ensign may get a raw deal.

 

[Rossynant]

No problems for Europe with UK leaving. Other than lack of Nigel Farage - this would be a loss... leaving the rest on the mercy (or not) of those banksters and beaurocrats

 

[chinita]

Good time to swap to the Scottish Ship Register and get on to Ebay for a Saltire.

 

[robmcg]

With the recent news there may well be a referendum on Europe how much difference would leaving or staying make?
Would there be a lot more hassle sailing within Europe?

I guess the RCD would disappear up its own ****hole. Form an orderly queue to bring over some nice boats from the USA!

 

[tcm]

it could be good or bad - UK could easily have another made-to-measure deal and the vacuuous lot in brussels will supply, as always.

 

[wotayottie]

I guess the RCD would disappear up its own ****hole. Form an orderly queue to bring over some nice boats from the USA!

No - the RCD was part of an exercise to allow free sales of boats within the EU. Do you think we would abandon the RCD and then end up unable to sell any boats over there?

 

[wotayottie]

Leaving the EU would cause some hassle for UK boaters going to the continent. From officials over there exercising their right to be difficult / resentful, but UK border control would not be an issue - after all we ignore it going to the CI anyway and thats outside the EU. Does any Brit arriving from the US bother to tell the UKBA and fly a yellow flag etc?

 

[robmcg]

No - the RCD was part of an exercise to allow free sales of boats within the EU. Do you think we would abandon the RCD and then end up unable to sell any boats over there?

I am sure British built boats would still be made RCD compliant so they could be sold into Europe but non RCD compliant boats from say the US could be imported to the UK without needing to pass the RCD, bit like they do in Turkey.

 

[Tranona]

Highly unlikely that bit of legislation would even come on the radar for the dubious benefit of a handful of people. You would have to convince a lot of people that it was important enough to change legislation - lots of luck!

 

[macd]

I guess the RCD would disappear up its own ****hole.

That's the trouble with guessing. It tends to make you believe the Daily Mail. RCD is an EEA measure, not EU. It would still apply if the UK left the EU.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

It has to better if only because it's less politicians, bureaucrats and civil servants to pass more regulations and create more jobsworths. Can't understand the border argument - we not Schengen signatories and anyway Switzerland doesn't exactly have major border problems and nor did any other European countries before the EEC/EU. You used to be able to travel to France for 24 hours on a temporary ID card in my youth but I bet you couldn't now.

 

[BrianH]

Can't understand the border argument - we not Schengen signatories and anyway Switzerland doesn't exactly have major border problems.

Because Switzerland IS a Schengen signatory. But ease of access isn't a problem because internal controls are efficient - and we all have id. cards, which no one, other than illegal immigrants, have a problem with.

 

[robmcg]

That's the trouble with guessing. It tends to make you believe the Daily Mail. RCD is an EEA measure, not EU. It would still apply if the UK left the EU.

Fair enough, just going by the BMF definition of RCD which says it governs the use and sale of boats in the European Union. My bad.....or their perhaps their bad !

 

[dulcibella]

Won't happen - not even Cameron could be daft enough. He and Chancellor Merckel will put together some list of trivial concessions that he can present as a triumph. Of course, the referendum might go pear-shaped because many people tend to use them to show how much they hate the government rather than to express an opinion on the question set. From a sailing point of view, I guess that the diverse policies of EU countries over red diesel for yachts show that subsidiarity is the name of the game! Better to stay in and influence policy rather than leave and be impotent in Europe.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

But we would still be at the mercy of our lot-indeed they would probably grab more power as our politicians can't supervise them. viz West Coast Mainline fiasco!

No problems for Europe with UK leaving. Other than lack of Nigel Farage - this would be a loss... leaving the rest on the mercy (or not) of those banksters and beaurocrats

 

[RAI]

I suppose it would mean Brits would be treated in Europe like Australians or Americans. A 90 day stay limitation extendible to 180 maybe and interesting "import your boat into Europe's VAT" rules. That could have quite an impact on lounging in the Med. Perhaps our Dave could cherry pick for British yachties some privileges.

 

[Daydream believer]

If we became what i suspect most people want-- a nation with a trading agreement-- then all our goods will need to comply with their rules, ie RCD. The only problem , as I see it, is that there may be more customs interference at first ( until they get fed up) & we will have no influence how the rules are formed -ie, how bent our cucumbers should be.
I see no problem leaving the EU "politically" so long as we continue trading & they need us for that as much as we need them
China trades within the EU with no problem
Unfortunately with Cameron being such a gutless wonder any changes will be a political fudge.
Making this announcement does several things for the conservatives
1) delays any action being taken now
2) keeps the sceptics of his back
3) does not upset the liberals too much so the coalition stays intact
4) cuts down on losses to UKIP
5) keeps door open for alliance with UKIP if next election goes tits up
6) keeps labour off balance

I suspect we will not have any referendum because labour will get in next time & this is political posturing

 

[BrianH]

I suppose it would mean Brits would be treated in Europe like Australians or Americans. A 90 day stay limitation extendible to 180 maybe and interesting "import your boat into Europe's VAT" rules. That could have quite an impact on lounging in the Med. Perhaps our Dave could cherry pick for British yachties some privileges.

Not only for the armada of liveaboards who would have to periodically move on to Turkey and Morocco but also for the vast hoards of the Costa Ghetto inhabitants that no longer would have their 'EU freedom of movement' to buy their villas there to lounge their pensionable years in.

But as others have said, it's such transparent political posturing that will never happen and fools only the gullible.