EuroTr@sh

Cathar Tours wrote the following post at 13/02/2021 11:28: "The areas where the UK failed in the WA and FTA was Fish, Customs Union and Financial services. There are few other things but they are minor." Yes I agree with your summary of the practical side of things, although I would add to that, not making an arrangement to facilitate UK musicians and artistes touring in the EU. But I think the greatest harm done by the negotiations is not the deal itself (assuming the EU Parliament ratifies it), it is all the bad feeling that was puffed up along the way. The anti-EU rhetoric in a certain section of the UK media was crude and unnecessary, it just created deeper division in the UK and coldness in the EU. That'll take a while to fade. And it's not over even yet, last week's spat about the NI protocol was same old same old - UK playing the blame game and blustering that the EU has got to change its attitiude, the protocol doesn't work and has got be re-negotiated, and the EU biting its lip and calmly listing all the measures under the protocol that the UK undertook to put in place but hasn't, and saying When you've done all the things we agreed on the protocol will work a lot better, but if it still doesn't work we'll look at it again at that point.

The thing is as I see it, the UK under the present government is good at aggressive politics and putting itself ahead of other countries. That's why it's ahead with vaccinations. It loves being world beating and being able to say We are doing better than France/the EU/ etc. So you are right, it will probably do better out of the EU. Back in 2016 I also thought that, and I still think that long term, both the EU and the UK are better off separate. Although I think that Brexit was handled very badly. But, France and Germany and on balance most EU members don't have that insular mentality. They believe in better together. It's a different mindset and I think that France still has that mindset although maybe it is changing. It reminds me of that team-building game where everyone is invited to choose a plank of wood or an empty oil drum or a woven mat, and try to float across the river on it. Most of them fall in. Then when they get to the other side they are invited to get into groups and put all their planks, drums and mats together to make a raft. The idea is the group then crosses back on its raft and gets across safe and sound and it proves that teamwork makes the dreamwork. Of course it doesn't always work and sometimes the rafts aren't very good and they collapse. But I think it's a good analogy when you think about it. If you can get the right mix of drums and planks and build a good raft, everyone benefits.The UK would grab the biggest and best plank for itself and keep it to itself and rush off to the other side while everyone else was discussing how best to build their rafts. France wouldn't. The other thing about the UK government is that while it is big on strong arm nationalistic politics it is not good at domestic politics. That is why it has had one of the highest Covid death rates in the world. You would have a far greater chance of being dead now if you lived in the UK.

Well that's the thing isn't it, once statisticians get hold of the figures they can prove either that the moon is made of cheese or that it isn't, depending what they have decided they want you to believe. Is the UK saving money by not being in the UK? It was a net contributor so whatever its net contribution was, presumably it is saving that. But it is spending a whole lot more on setting up its own standalone infrastructures that it didn't need before, border controls and agencies and so on. But then, part of that spending is on new jobs, so that's good investment. It's incalculable for most of us, and the only ones who do have access to the full picture, are selective in what they focus on. And, the UK is on its own dealing with the fallout from Covid. The EU has a massive support fund sitting there to bail member states out. It won't let France sink.

Does the EU have a banking problem? Plenty other problems, but not banking, that I am aware of. (Apart from the UK niggle-nagging it for access but I guess that's at most a minor irritation or even a source of amusement.) The UK's economy should come out of lockdown soon, and I agree it should start with a great big bounce, but what worries me is the debt. Every day they announce another £20m to support small businesses on the mainland and £23m to support the fishing industry on top of the hundreds of millions for NI businesses, £600m to enforce quarantine FFS, billions for a test & trace system that doesn't even work, seems like everything that the government should be doing inhouse is subcontracted out to private firms out at vast expense and it's been like that since the start of the pandemic. Maybe France is the same, I don't know. But, HMG has been throwing silly money around and the debt mountain is astronomical. TIme will tell, and fortunately I can sit on the fence and watch what happens for a while longer yet, before I need to decide which side to jump down on. Interesting times indeed.

I don't think there are any new EU regulations Norman. It's the UK that has said it will no longer be governed by EU banking regulations, it wants to be able to diverge. But as far as I know it hasn't clarified what rules it will adopt.

Yep, the EU has never concealed the fact that it aims to reduce its reliance on the UK as a financial services provider with the aim of making itself self sufficient. Its policy has always been to protect and promote the single market so there is no change in policy, the only difference is that the UK is no longer part of that single market.

I don't see any value in a vaccination passport unless or until there is a vaccine that stops people carrying the virus and spreading it - which I don't believe any of the current vaccines do. The advantage is to the individual, because they're at less risk of getting seriously ill and dying, but also to society because it will ease pressure on the health service. So in a sense it is selfish for an individual not do everything they can to protect society. But I guess that as long as the majority choose to get the jab, which I think they will, the few who don't won't do too much damage. They'll simply join the other categories whose lifestyle choices put extra pressure on the health service - smokers, drug users, binge drinkers etc. For me it boils down to, as long as I'm as sure as I can be that it won't do me any harm, and I think there's a chance it may do some good, why would I not take it? I think people are overcomplicating things, but then I'm a simple soul.

idun wrote the following post at 07/02/2021 13:23: When making galette bretons, do you ever put a coating of cheese, compte or emmantael then an egg in the middle of the galette breton? Yes I love them with eggs in. I've probably tried most things as galette fillings, I use whatever's in the fridge. Left-over boiled spuds sliced thin with creme fraiche is good (tho' not if you're on a diet) but if it's too runny it leaks through and it all goes messy. Mushrooms, lardons, black pudding, tomatoes, and usually start with a layer oi emmental. Yum yum.

Breton galettes are a regular standby here. So quick and easy and so many different fillings. They can be as simple as it comes (ham and cheese, serve with a chunk of bread) or as experimental (seafood, vegetables, andouille, creme fraiche, serve with a fancy salad). Tartiflette is another regular standby.

Sorry wrong forum LOL, my bad.

Whatever you decide Smeggie, just don't sit on the fence too long because your deadline for moving back to the UK without having to apply for a visa for your wife (which would require Smeggie to be earning a good salary), is the end of March 2022. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/returning-to-the-uk#bringing-family-members-to-the-uk I'm not wild about prospects in either the UK or France to be honest. Frying pan and fire but the question is, which way round is it.

Funnily enough I am aware that the EU is a union of countries, not a single country. Of coursse it could be argued that it's most like the USSR (as some folk love pointing out), or the USA, or indeed the UK. But really I think we all realise that the EU is neither fish nor fowl, and that's where the problem is. It would be disingenuous of me to try and pretend that it's a state, but it's also disingenuous of you to pretend that it's just the same as google or amazon or any other multinational business. It's not a country and it's not purely a business organisation, it's a bit of each. The EU represents its member states at an international level when things like climate targets, foreign policy, trade sanctions and stuff like that are being discussed and policies agreed on. As the saying goes, it's a rule make not a rule taker, whereas google etc don't make the rules altho' I'm sure they would dearly love to. I think you chose to misunderstand what I meant by trade agreements and borders. You seem to be talking about barriers to trade, I was referring to trade agreements between trade blocs and borders between trade blocs. I don't think even google has its own special trade agreements and customs borders. But it's a silly and pointless argument so I'll leave it there.

cajal wrote the following post at 30/01/2021 10:53: "That would be akin to granting the HR head honcho of Google the same status." But if the two are akin, that suggest that: the UK has signed a trade deal with Google as it has with the EU the UK has a reciprocal citizens' rights agreement for UK citizens and Google citizens the UK shares a trade border with Google as it does with the EU Etc.

idun wrote the following post at 30/01/2021 12:32: "Johnson is a politician, so is Macron, the information they have will be basic. They are not scientists. Macron's studies were not in the sciences and as he went to the Science Po, it was to study the Po, and Johnson studied classics." Yes, this. They're politicians. Their skill is supposed to lie in sifting through lots of information, picking out what's important, knowing which sources are likely to be more reliable than which other sources, deciding how much faith it's safe to place in scientists' theories and deductions about things that aren't yet 100% proved one way or ther other. The worst kind of politician are those that surround themselves with sycophants like the Donald did, and won't listen to anyone who doesn't say what they want to hear. Johnson certainly has plenty of advisors and they don't always say the same thing. I don't know whether he also has an advisor to advise him which advisor to listen to, or maybe Carrie does that. From Macron's speeches it appears that he makes his own assessment of all the advice he gets, I say that because,, like Sturgeon when he's asked why he took one decision rather than another he is able to sum up the arguments on both sides and explain why he found one side more convincing than the other. As compared to Johnson who simply replies that he is "following the science" which is a bit meaningless when "the science" is in two minds itself depending which scientist you listen to. But the fact is that right now nobody knows, and only hindsight will tell us who was right.

I've got to the point of sitting back and enjoying the cinema. But, it seems Macron's actual words were "Nous avons très peu d'informations sur ce vaccin, on attend de voir les résultats de l'EMA. Aujourd'hui on pense qu'il est quasi-inefficace pour les plus de 65 ans'". He's expressing grave concerns but making it clear that these are only today's thoughts, in the absence of sufficient data. That's not what fake news is. Johnson has equally little information and Johnson is saying that despite not having full data he is convinced it will be fine. Why is Johnson allowed to express his opinion, but Macron must keep quiet about his concerns?? I guess, because you like Johnson's opinion and you don't like Macron's.

These hopeful souls seem to be overlooking the hard fact that MPs in any country are basically only interested in helping people who could potentially vote for them. Holiday home owners never could and never will be able to vote for anybody in France.

If you had already qualified for permanent residence before the end of transition, under the WA you are permitted an absence of up to 5 years before you lose your rights. So not living in France during 2020 shouldn't matter unless you also didn't live there in 2019, 18, 17 and 16. From the website it appears that those who already hold a 10 year CdS aren't asked to prove residence in 2020 but those who don't already hold a 10 year CdS, are. I don't know why but that's how it appears.

If you read the post I made above before i deleted it, ignore it. I realised after posting it that your teaching pensions would probably be taxable in the UK not France, and I don't know the implications of that.

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Thank you Norman, that is what was at the back of my mind.

If you both have full UK state pensions, plus teaching pensions; plus rental income, it seems unlikely that your avis would be zero? Slight diversion but this thread reminded me of something I read saying that the exemption from social charges for Brits on UK rental income was due to Brits being EU citizens and it would cease to apply after Brexit. Does anyone know whether that is correct or whether it was fake news?

Prefectures do have discretion to ask individuals for additional documents over and above those that the website requires everybody to send. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, I guess it just depends what information they have in your dossier and whether they feel it is conclusive proof that the conditions have been met. If they insist, and you feel they're asking for unreasonable proofs that contravene the withdrawal agreement, you can of course contest it but realistically, it's probably quicker and easier just to send what they're asking for. I do think it might be worth an email to site support, to see if they can ungrey a few boxes..

elamessa wrote the following post at 24/01/2021 18:41: "I can't find a contact for tech guys on the site so I will wait for a reply from the Prefecture." @elamessa - this is the address given on the website to contact if you have a problem using the site:: [email protected].

If have already applied on the web portal I don't think it will let you make a duplicate application. I believe there is a Help function on the website somewhere where you can send a message to the teckie guys if you're having a technical problem. Maybe try that, tell them what the prefecture is asking for and see if they can un-grey the boxes for you? If they can't, hopefully they'll suggest what you should do.

I think the Mail could be very useful in the closet, if the toilet roll panic buyers beat you to it. You can read it first, then use it for what it's best suited for.