POUR ENCOURAGER LES AUTRES

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42097692

More proof, if any further proof were needed, that the cabal of unelected petty dictators in Brussels (aka the EU Commission) are determined to transform the entire continent into a de facto United States of Europe, regardless of the wishes of the people of Europe and the policies of its democratically elected national governments.

Ummm I’m sorry but I’m not quite following. If BREXIT happens, why would The UK expect to win a spot as a European City of Culture when that is part of the community they want to leave?

Or am I missing something else?

Cass wrote:Ummm I’m sorry but I’m not quite following. If BREXIT happens, why would The UK expect to win a spot as a European City of Culture when that is part of the community they want to leave?

Or am I missing something else?

hiya cass

it's about leaving the EU not Europe as a whole

italy is now clamouring to leave EU as well and more countries will follow but it will still be a european communityu

Cass wrote:Ummm I’m sorry but I’m not quite following. If BREXIT happens, why would The UK expect to win a spot as a European City of Culture when that is part of the community they want to leave?

Or am I missing something else?

You are "missing something else" Cass.

The European Union is a political entity and federation of nation states; Europe is a geographical continent.

There is, as I understand it, absolutely nothing to disbar a non-EU European country from applying for and potentially
winning the status of the European City of Culture.

The fact is that the unelected EU Commission is determined to exercise political and legal control over the entire continent of Europe. It does not have the constitutional right to do so.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

Cass wrote:Ummm I’m sorry but I’m not quite following. If BREXIT happens, why would The UK expect to win a spot as a European City of Culture when that is part of the community they want to leave?

Or am I missing something else?

You are "missing something else" Cass.

The European Union is a political entity and federation of nation states; Europe is a geographical continent.

There is, as I understand it, absolutely nothing to disbar a non-EU European country from applying for and potentially
winning the status of the European City of Culture.

The fact is that the unelected EU Commission is determined to exercise political and legal control over the entire continent of Europe. It does not have the constitutional right to do so.

Yeah ok but...

“The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension.”

So if you’re leaving the EU, which funds and chooses the ECC why do you expect to still be a part of it?

But are you thinking this is how they could qualify??

“Eligibility is open to cities in EU member states, in countries that are candidates or potential candidates for membership, or in countries that are part of the European Economic Area (EEA)[1] - an example of the latter being Stavanger in Norway, which was a European Capital of Culture in 2008.”

In December 2016, the UK government said the competition would "run as normal", but did warn bidders that it "may be subject to" the Brexit negotiations.

Cities from non-EU countries have held the title before - but if a country isn't in the EU, it must be a candidate to join or must be in the European Free Trade Association or European Economic Area.

From the article posted. The government did warn you. You can’t have your cake and eat it too I guess.

Cass wrote:In December 2016, the UK government said the competition would "run as normal", but did warn bidders that it "may be subject to" the Brexit negotiations.

Cities from non-EU countries have held the title before - but if a country isn't in the EU, it must be a candidate to join or must be in the European Free Trade Association or European Economic Area.

From the article posted. The government did warn you. You can’t have your cake and eat it too I guess.

It is not up to the EU to decide whether Britain will or will not be a member of either the EFTA or the EEA, and membership of either bloc is a qualifier for nomination.

I have no idea whether the UK will join either of those bodies, but it is not within the gift of the EU to threaten to block an application.

It would be interesting to know whether the EU would also attempt to block an application by, say, St Helier, the capital of the States of Jersey or St Peter Port, the capital of the States of Guernsey - or Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man. Non of those are in the European Union, but they are undoubtedly part of Europe.

As I  understand it none of them could be disqualified on the grounds of not being "cities" because only in the UK is the status of "city" dependent on the town having an Anglican cathedral.

One for the lawyers, methinks...but it is yet another obvious manifestation of the Brussels bureaucracy's penchant for bullying and intolerance to any form of dissent.

Cass wrote:In December 2016, the UK government said the competition would "run as normal", but did warn bidders that it "may be subject to" the Brexit negotiations.

Cities from non-EU countries have held the title before - but if a country isn't in the EU, it must be a candidate to join or must be in the European Free Trade Association or European Economic Area.

From the article posted. The government did warn you. You can’t have your cake and eat it too I guess.

Yep and because of the other nations looking to leave, the EU has to make that as clear as possible using Britain as an example of the consequences of leaving.