Brexit, II

 

Vocabulary

isolate	complain	campaign (2)
head	take (2)	renegotiate
damage	scenario	nightmare
access	qualified	regulation
earn	overseas	component
tied up	issue (3)	clearance (2)
debate	self-made	compliance
recycle	legislation	bureaucratic
allow	interpret	motivated
afford	to employ	provision (2)
inquire	liberal (2)	push aside
lobby	revenue	get on board (2)
fee	purport	paperwork
option	carry on	concession
prize	point (3)	consequence
fierce

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

Transcript

There are business people in Britain who have been campaigning for their country to exit the European Union.

Pam Watts complains that the EU is isolating itself from world trade.

Pam Watts, heads a recycling company: “It purports to have 50 trade agreements, but there were also tiny, irrelevant states. And so they are stopping us from being able to get out there and trade globally — and that is so important in today’s globalized economy.”

And then there are business people like Gamil Magal, for whom a British exit from the EU would be a nightmare scenario.

Gamil Magal, Magal Engineering CEO: “There are lots of agreements that already are agreed and they will reopen. And I have to renegotiate.

How long that will take? How damaging it will be to the economy? Nobody can tell, really.”

Gamil Magal is a qualified engineer and self-made man. His company earns around €150 million annual revenues. He supplies components to Daimler, BMW and other car makers in the EU and overseas.

The European single market saves his company money.

Gamil Magal, Magal Engineering CEO: “At the moment, we’re selling to Germany, France, anywhere in Europe, like we are selling in the UK.

If we are outside of the European market, it will be an export. To export, you’ve got a lot of export paperwork … we’ve got a lot of money tied up … and we’ll have to get clearance in the port … we’ll have to do a lot of things that today we don’t do.”

And what could his employees expect if Britain decided to leave the EU?

The workers at this machine come from Lithuania, Slovenia and Poland. Would they have to apply for a visa?

Gamil Magal: “We don’t produce enough engineers, enough skilled people here and ourselves.

So if these people will have to go back home, we will have a serious problem. We spend years in training highly skilled, highly motivated people. They are part of the community here.

And they won’t be able to stay. It’s a big problem.”

Pam Watts also employs workers from other EU countries. But she doesn’t believe they’d be forced to leave the country immediately if Britain left the EU.

Sweeep Kuusakoski recycles electronics and sells materials all over the world, all according to EU regulations.

Pam Watts, Sweeep Kuusakoski: “It’s way too bureaucratic for companies like mine. Compliance is a massive issue for us. And what is the point of having legislation when 28 member states are allowed to interpret it differently.

Pam Watts had to invest over €2 million in new machinery to comply with new EU provisions.

Competitors in the Netherlands interpreted the same provisions more liberally and now they are producing cheaper.

Pam Watts appeared to have wasted her money.

She says small companies like hers are often pushed aside by EU legislation.

Pam Watts, Sweeep Kuusakoski: “We have no access to Brussels. And of course, if we did want to, we would have to employ an expensive lobby company.

In fact, we inquired about that — and the starting fee just to get them on board was £10,000. We can’t afford that.

So it’s fine for corporate, they have their lobbyists, but little companies like my have no say in Europe at all. None.”

These two business owners have two very different takes on Britain’s future: one outside and one inside the EU.

Gamil Magal, Magal Engineering CEO: “We had lots of concessions for England because of our currency, then our condition is better than the rest of Europe.

And so I think we could carry on and develop that even further, to win the best condition while we are in.”

Pam Watts, Sweeep Kuusakoski: “There is a big world out there. There are lots of options: we have China, India and the States, South America. Even Africa is growing.

Europe is the only continent not actually economically growing at the moment.

What consequences would a Brexit have for Britain’s economy?

That’s the prize question, and the subject of fierce debate.

Questions

1. All businesses and business people oppose the Brexit. True or false?

2. Does Pam Watts only want to do business within the European Union?

3. Gamil Magal manufactures automobiles. Is this correct or wrong? What does he think about trade within and outside the EU?

4. Do only native Britons work in Gamil Magal and Pam Watts’ companies? What does Gamil Magal say about foreign workers?

5. Pam Watts can consult with officials in Brussels. Yes or no?

6. Is Gamil Magal optimistic or pessimistic about Britain’s membership in the EU?

7. Does Pam Watts consider the EU to be protectionist or globalist?

 

A. Do you think the UK should remain or leave the EU? Why? What do people in your country think? Does everyone feel this way?

B. Is your country part of the EU? If it is, should it remain in the EU? If your country isn’t, would you like it to join the EU?

C. My country is part of a larger trading block or zone. Yes or no?

D. There should be complete free trade among all nations. What do you think?

E. What do you think will happen in the future?