January 2003

TIME TO PACK UP THE RED TAPE?

Should there be a fixed quantity for every pack, bottle or container on sale in supermarkets, chemists and DIY shops, or should manufacturers be allowed to make up their own pack sizes? That is the question which, until January 31, the European Commission is online asking consumers, producers, retailers and other interested parties. They want to know whether public intervention in pack-sizing is justified. The EU is over regulated compared with the rest of the world in this area but a survey has shown that most consumers want standard sizes of packs that fit their needs. In sectors where sizes have been fixed, however, relatively few smaller sizes are sold. This means the manufacturer can limit consumer choice.. But sizes are reducing in some sectors. The average size of plastic bottles is reported to have diminished by 50% over the past decade. This reflects the shift to smaller households and more individually oriented consumption patterns. So, the floor is yours. Two complementary on-line consultations were launched in November, a survey questionnaire and a discussion forum. Both can be accessed on the Your Voice in Europe site:

http://europa.eu.int/yourvoice/

and on the Pack Sizes site:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/prepack/

WASTE AWAY

Europe produces 2000 million tones of waste of all kinds, including electronic scrap, every year, and this is growing at 10% annually. And the UK is one of the worst offenders. Most of the waste ends up in landfill which is also growing rapidly despite a hefty landfill tax. The good news for the environment is that, in future, EU countries will have to recycle used printers, computers and other electrical items, instead of merely burying them in the ground.
The Government will have to act now, however, to avoid another fiasco like the fridge mountain. We have no choice but to catch up with the rest of Europe and make a concerted effort to recycle these products. The Scottish Executive must make sure that local authorities have the necessary information and resources to deal with these new recycling requirements.

CHEEK OF CHIRAC

The recent decision by the Commission to cave in and let France off the hook over its illegal ban on British beef is nothing less than a cheat's charter.
A call on the French President Jacques Chirac by my colleagues and myself to pay the £29.4 million fine imposed on his government for its failure to lift its embargo on British beef has fallen on deaf ears. Despite writing to President Chirac enclosing an invoice for the full amount, payable to the farmers of Britain, we have received no reply. The challenge followed the European Commission's decision to 'withdraw its application to the European Court of Justice for the imposition of the daily fine' - a decision universally condemned by my MEP colleagues, myself and the farmers we represent. The UK government and European Commission must apply more pressure on the French to meet their obligation to pay so that our farmers can receive the justice and compensation they deserve. Otherwise, the EU’s ability to exert discipline where the rules are broken will be badly undermined.

FERRY MUCH APPRECIATED

I have read and written about it and campaigned for it - and now I have used it - the new ferry service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge. The facilities are excellent and meet the standards of a good quality cruise, rather than the “greasy spoon” so-called dining aboard the Dover/Calais/Ostende type of crossing. And there is no more spectacular way to approach Scotland for the first time than sailing up the Firth of Forth towards the bridges. This is the thrill which the new Superfast Ferries offer our continental visitors at the end of the 17-hour crossing. We in Scotland really should pull out the stops to encourage the take-up of the opportunities the new service offers. Use it yourself and tell your friends. The Scottish and UK tourist authorities could also give it a bigger boost. It will become all the more essential to Scottish business and industry as the routes through England become ever more congested and regulations restrict the hours which truck drivers can spend behind the wheel.

John Purvis is Vice Chairman of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and a member of the Committee on Industry, External Trade Research and Energy. He can be contacted by e-mail at jpurvis@europarl.eu.int or visit his website.