1). I am off to spend the day with my ailing parents now so in the interests of brevity, this should help you http://europa.eu/eu-law/decision-making/procedures/index_en.htm
2). 10 years (or more) is the generally accepted measure as the period for negotiating a trade agreement, they are INCREDIBLY complex - look it up
3). what happened to 3..? has it been phased out by the EU...
4). can't help with that one other than to say that nothing ever stands still, its called evolution..
1/ I did look it up, What I understood was different to yourself. We have very little influence if any. Laws are being created by bureaucrats and I came across an interesting description called the democracy deficit. The council and commission are the ones creating law. The commission are not elected by voters.
2/ I did look it up. I couldn’t find your facts which is why I asked you to substantiate it.
3/You had no disagreement. We both agree.
4/ Your contradicting yourself. Posters have pointed out most of us are not old enough to have agreed to the long gone common market.
Hope your parents are ok. I too have a family member in their nineties in ill health.

