Swiss Hire Cars

[mushroom25]

seems now that, if you're an EU citizen, you can't hire a car at Geneva Airport and drive into any neighbouring EU state.
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/may/28/eu-citizens-car-hire-switzerland

can any of the Europhiles on this site explain the purpose of this new regulation and why it's such a whizzo idea? or is it just another edict from an organisation that's so far past Barking that the district line has run out of stations to insinuate its sanity?

[mikey4444]

Seems odd Mush....something to do with VAT apparently !

[EDDIE51]

Switzerland has been caught out by this, it is a new regulation that Hire cars from outside the EU can not be driven into an EU country. Switzerland is not in the EU , but all it's borders are EU countries. I am sure they will make an exception to the rule for Switzerland.
Of course if we leave the EU it means we can not hire a car in the UK and drive it in Europe or Southern Ireland ! So yet another item to be 'negotiated' if we vote to leave.

[mikey4444]

Eddie....I am sure that the LEAVE camp will have thought of that already......won't they ?

[EDDIE51]

Yes, but the tone of the question is '' More EU madness let's get out''
As you say it's to do with VAT which as I'm sure you know is only applies within the EU.

[jno]

you can't take American cars into Mexico, as I recall. It's just a question of tax and insurance, it's not insanity. Sounds like the rental companies are dealing with it by using foreign-registered cars.

[New Judge]

"Sounds like the rental companies are dealing with it by using foreign-registered cars. "

Quite so. Not an insurmountable problem by any means and certainly not a reason to consider voting to remain. Should the UK leave I imagine hire companies will have some Irish registered cars available for the people wanting to cross from Northern Ireland to the south and a similar arrangement will prevail for those wishing to cross the Channel.

It is interesting to note that the problem does not seem to be apparent in the reverse direction. I see no mention that the Swiss are preventing non-Swiss hire cars from entering. So they don't seem to have the glaring problem of tax and insurance (or whatever non-problem the Euromaniacs have seen fit to address by this measure). Furthermore, the Swiss have been surrounded by EU member countries for around sixty years - it has not just happened - and it does not seem to have presented a problem until now. Too many people being paid vast sums to see what they can interfere with next, perhaps.

[KARL]

I imagine that behind the "non-problem the Euromaniacs have seen fit to address" lies thinking/motivation that is something similar to that which drives regulators in general (almost certainly in every country on the planet, certainly including in the UK). They see holes in the "envelope" they are trying to wrap their territory in and are trying to patch over them. EU regulators are certainly not unique in creating absurdly clumsy rules/regulations/systems as a cursory glance across the spectrum will reveal. Those who ponder this subject often cite UK examples - then often in the context of an entire system being a collection of bizarre pronouncements - but I suspect not a single country/grouping is beyond significant criticism. As often as not complexity and human limitations will be the explanation, and probably urgency comes into it too in no small measure - politicians pile on pressure in reaction to screaming public sentiment.

[New Judge]

Very profound, Karl. Basically, everybody's at it so it should come as no surprise that the Euromaniacs are.

My take is this: it's bad enough having to tolerate UK politicians interfering with the smooth running of the country. Quite why we should allow a second, even more industrious, mob to do the same only worse is beyond me.