[paskster]

Europe is not a single market at all. Simple thinks like making sure your invoice is paid from a customer who is based in another european country is practically impossible.

I know because I am the CEO of a staffing company in Germany: national as well as international businesses book exhibition staff and other temporary employees for events in Germany and Austria through our platform.

If one of our german customers does not pay, we can easily use the german legal system to ensure that we get our money. If we have to sue, our legal system makes sure that we are reimbursed if we win in court. But if for example an Italian business is using our service and they don't pay our invoice, we have no way to get our money. We technically could appeal to a court in Italy, get a lawyer in Italy, translate all documents to Italian and sue in Italy. But this would cost at least 20.000 EUR in total which are not reimbursed even if we win in court.

That is why businesses who are not based in Germany have to pay upfront. I cannot call the EU a single market, if my business has to treat a customer from EU the same like any other customer around the world.

So, maybe the UK will have some disadvantages if they are not part of the EU anymore. But they are not leaving a "single market" because the EU never was a single market. I guess they will be just fine without the EU.

[ddalex]

Yes, but you can sell in Italy, right? I mean, the customers have to pay upfront, but they can pay and you can service.

Compare this with the need to incorporate in Italy, have people hired there, an office presence, and so on. The barrier is not 0, but it's not even remotely as it is outside EU.

[raverbashing]

This is an interesting aspect. I guess transnational enforcement of contracts is a thorny issue.

Not sure how easy would that be in the USA or Canada (transprovincial) as well

[dx034]

But this is mainly a language issue. If you had a common language, you'd probably have it easy to sue people in other countries as well. And you can sue as a non-Italian without any problems.

The EU will never have the level of integration the US has, simply because there are different languages at play. But that's no fault of EU politicians.

[kuschku]

> Europe is not a single market at all.

Oh, it’s already a lot better than it was before. But you are right, a fuckton of work is required to make it even slightly competitive with the US, China, or India.

But we should work towards that – and not split it up even further.

[virmundi]

Isn't one of the issues with the EU government that it's recalcitrant to reform? Brussels feels like they have a cozy little cocoon. Any attempts to make them work for the people in a meaningful way get rebuffed.

[dx034]

They actually work a lot for the people. The reason the EU is often unpopular with businesses is due to laws protecting people (labor laws, customer protection, minimum standards, ...). I'd argue that is politic for the people, just not for businesses.

[kuschku]

Oh, the EU parliament works all the time for the people

The problem is that all national governments have to approve each EU directive before it becomes law in the EU council. The national governments then usually, due to lobby pressure, add loopholes to net neutrality, reduce consumer protections, or demand TTIP.

If you get rid of the EU, you’re only left with this council – and then you get zero net neutrality but instead TTIP and all the other bullshit.