[melesian]

You don't appear well informed about the EU or about the consequences of Brexit for British manufacturers. If you're implying some kind of EU civil servant driven influence over decisions in the UK I suggest you acquaint yourself with happened with the UK's UKCA mark.

Very simply, maintaining two production lines or trying to engage in pointless differentiation from the standards of your largest export market is costly and potentially futile.

No need for any EU-bashing conspiracy theory nonsense. It's an association of democracies with a democratically elected parliament that approves EU legislation.

I'll help (there's plenty more if you care to look): https://www.trethowans.com/insights/is-this-the-end-of-the-u...

[RandomThoughts3]

I don't think my comment implied anything nefarious about EU influence in the UK. Why would you think so?

I'm saying that the EU uses law making as in EU law making as both a political tool and a diplomatic tool which is, well, undeniable. You just have to take a quick glance at think like the EU green taxonomy or the CSRD to understand how it works.

> Very simply, maintaining two production lines or trying to engage in pointless differentiation from the standards of your largest export market is costly and potentially futile.

See, that's what I'm talking about. That's using law making as a diplomatic power.

[mrbadger]

Your apparent implication that the EU is coercive is false. Very simply, if you want to do business in the EU you have to comply with the mandated market standards. No hammers are involved.

The EU is the greatest peace project in history not, as many (including Donald Trump and many right wing libertarians eg) characterize it, as an oppressive entity. It's why countries are keen to join it and to adopt common (shared) EU standards. It's simply better than having multiple competing national standards.

Market power and diplomatic power are different. No EU diplomacy whatever was involved in the UK's sovereign decision on the UKCA mark or USB C and related matters. The EU does have diplomatic representation in London and uses it to, e.g., let the British govt know it will face trade sanctions if they violate the terms of the UK Withdrawal Agreement (threats to break international law were made repeatedly by the last UK govt).