Economic bullying ruled out?
The media is full of stories on how gung-ho EU politicians might like to
punish us for leaving.
Hopefully this will help provide some reassurance.
A legal commentator, P Szasz, has identified a UN Resolution or Declaration
that would appear to rule out bullying, such as forcing us to choose between
a punitive arrangement and not leaving at all. (PDF article URL -
https://www.usnwc.edu/getattachment/721cb2a7-876b-4cbf-91a3-4cbc19f1a593/The -Law-of-Economic-Sanctions.aspx
His key paragraphs are given below, and I've verified the Resolution on the
UN website, URL references:
http://legal.un.org/avl/ha/dpilfrcscun/dpilfrcscun.html http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/2625(XXV) "Over the years, various international organs, and particularly the UN
General Assembly, have adopted a series of solemn resolutions that, inter
alia, are designed to delegitimize the use of economic force by individual
States. One of the first of these was the 1965 "Declaration on the
Inadmissibility of Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of States and the
Protection of Their Independence and Sovereignty," which declared that
No State may use or encourage the use of economic, political or other types
or measures to coerce another State in order to obtain from it the
subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights or to secure from it
advantages of any kind.
Precisely the same text was repeated in the 1970 "Declaration on Principles
of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among
States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations," which is
widely accepted as an authoritative interpretation of the UN Charter."
Under international law, the EU27 will need to negotiate with us in good
faith. In particular, heeding commitments at higher bodies such as WTO and
UN.
The WTO stresses trade liberalisation positives, such as reciprocating
benefits. It also insists that regional unions must boost trade internally
without creating adverse effects for other WTO members. The EU is
corporately a member.
All EU27 members are members of the UN. The Lisbon Treaty formally commits
to respecting the UN Charter and wider international law.
Please use as needed.
All the best,
Brian
