VAL GIBBONS, of Seymour Drive, Dartmouth, writes:

South West MEP William Dartmouth, in the recent Bulletin from Brussels, highlighted a good many interesting and enlightening facts which question the advantages of the UK remaining in the EU. I have chosen just a few:

The UK's trade with the outside world is already more important than its trade with the EU. Our trade with non-EU countries is greater than 60 per cent of its total trade and is increasing. This figure, unlike figures commonly circulated by the EU, takes into account the distortion of the Rotterdam effect, whereby UK exports sent on to non-EU countries via continental ports are erroneously counted as exports to the EU. This has been the case for years.

While only 13 per cent of the UK's GDP is dependent on exports to companies and individuals in the EU, 100 per cent of our GDP is subject to EU regulation. EU regulation has cost British business and commerce at least £250bn over the last 15 years.

The UK has no meaningful influence in the EU and membership of the EU reduces our influence in the world.

Despite having the world's seventh-largest economy and over 60 per cent of the EU's financial service industry, the UK will have just 8.3 per cent of the votes in the council of ministers when Croatia joins the EU next July.

Britain's influence in the world derives from its membership of over 125 international organisations – for example the UK is a permanent member of the UN security council. The UK's membership of the EU places at risk our position at the UN and elsewhere.

Upon joining the EU, we lost our seat at the World Trade Organisation, whereas the former British colony of Hong Kong has its own seat at the WTO.

If the UK left the EU, we would regain our seat at the WTO and our ability to negotiate bilateral trade agreements.

The UK cannot negotiate trade treaties on its own behalf. Since 1975, the EU trade commissioner has negotiated all trade treaties involving the UK.

Under the Common Fisheries Policy, vessels from other EU member states are subsidised to comb UK waters and take our fish. The Common Agricultural Policy inhibits our ability to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in the emerging markets of developing nations.

Norway and Switzerland – two countries that are not part of the EU – annual export, respectively, 2.5 and 4.5 times more per capita to the EU, than does the UK.

With an exit from the EU, we would once again be able to negotiate bilateral free trade agreements on our own behalf with the dynamic worldwide economies – a right forfeited in 1973.

Am I the only one to resent my yes vote at that time? None of us knew that we had voted for the loss of our sovereign rights.

The full article can be found in the New Year 2013 edition which is published by Europe of Freedom and Democracy.