Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-06-13-Speech-3-148"
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"en.20010613.4.3-148"2
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"Mr President, Mrs Smet referred to the fact that a majority in the PPE-DE Group were in favour of including the self-employed. I am sure that is true. But I am sure she would also agree that there is a significant minority who take a completely opposite view. This morning I chaired a press conference here on the subject of burdens on business. I was joined on the platform by colleagues from Austria, Finland and Sweden – Members from other countries would have come if they could have – who much shared the views which I will now share with the House.
Since the publication of the Hughes report, I have been personally bombarded with complaints from the UK Removers' Association, the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the Road Haulage Association, the Freight Transport Association and the International Road Transport Union, as well as small local haulage companies and self-employed lorry drivers. They are united in their horror at amendments that would put UK operators out of business, and in their amazement that these proposals are coming from a UK MEP.
There is no evidence that self-employed lorry drivers, who rely on their own health and, on the safety of their vehicles for their day-to-day business existence, are in need of more EU legislation to make them more safe. There is no evidence that Member States, when they agreed the common position, were unmindful of their health and safety responsibilities. There is no requirement on Parliament to tighten up this legislation now.
The rapporteur's amendments would lead to lower earnings for professional drivers, increase road congestion and pollution and raise transport costs. Given that UK hauliers are already paying the highest fuel taxes in the world, these proposals would be the last straw for many in the UK road haulage industry. They also show no understanding of the needs of the industry, or its employees. These last three sentences are not my words. They are the words of the UK Road Haulage Association. UK Conservative MEPs will be rejecting all the Hughes amendments. We shall not be alone."@en1
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member; Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Gulf (1999-10-06--2002-01-14)3,3
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