Thread

EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

693 points · 905 comments · hackernj

softwaredoug · 1789557035 · focus · HN ↗
I’m not sure this is a good thing for Canada.
The EU feels like an incomplete experiment. Not strong enough to actually be a single market. But still able to create additional annoying regulations on top of nation level ones.
The EU needs to be truly Federal to succeed economically. That might create uniform regulations with more uniform regulations and actually make Europe competitive.
1. lnxg33k1 · 1789557188 · focus · HN ↗
  I am not sure, if I see the example of US as federation, it might work well for corporations only, but people have nothing, uniformity doesn't work because not all populations have the same needs/expectations
  1. softwaredoug · 1789557398 · focus · HN ↗
    Maybe, but it’s way too difficult to do business in the EU.
    Not because I think regulations are bad. But regulations need to be well designed with clears lines on what the Federal / State are allowed to do.
    Epa095 · 1789557820 · focus · HN ↗
    Its hard because its 27 different countries, but they are working on making it less hard. Many startups are made in Europe, but then bought up (often by Americans) or moves to USA when its time to expand outside the single countries boarders. Canada has the same problem.
    Canada has made it pretty clear that they do not want to be part of the big country south of it, so they will have to find a way to create large companies that stays. Doing this together with a market of 450 million people seems like a good idea.
    _ink_ · 1789557849 · focus · HN ↗
    > but it’s way too difficult to do business in the EU.
    They are working in it: <a href="https://www.eu-inc.org/" rel="nofollow">https://www.eu-inc.org/
    I have no clue whether that will be a success, but at least they have recognised that problem as well.
    anonzzzies · 1789557924 · focus · HN ↗
    > but it’s way too difficult to do business in the EU
    Been doing it for decades. Not a billionaire and not interested in becoming one; in the US I would've been one. But never had issues.
    mitxela · 1789562564 · focus · HN ↗
    You can't deal with 27 different groups of people without dealing with 27 different groups of people or forcibly unifying them to become 1 group. I'm sure you agree the latter is bad.
    softwaredoug · 1789563376 · focus · HN ↗
    That’s obviously reductive. They don’t have to be forced. They could mutually agree to unify more strongly
    mitxela · 1789567299 · focus · HN ↗
    Yes, and they have in some ways, and that's called the EU. They have not unified in every way. For example the French people have not agreed to start eating Surströmming, they do not want to start eating Surströmming, I don't know whether it's even legal there to possess it, and that decision should rightfully be up to them. If you want to sell your Surströmming in France you have to take France into account, you can't just assume your business will be the same everywhere in Europe, and that's not just limited to laws, but also all other facets of culture. For a basic example, you have to have a version of your packaging written in French.
    lnxg33k1 · 1789595019 · focus · HN ↗
    It's easy to do any business in EU, it's hard if you want to do business in EU over multiple countries, but if you are planning to do business over multiple countries then you're already extremely rich so you can afford staff to navigate regulations
    you don't get it, americans are shallow people with no culture or background whose biggest achievement is saying I am 1/8 irish or something, but countries over here have millennial of culture

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