Shipping Trade and Transport News 8th October 2016

Trade News

UK Conservatives fire early shots in EU battle 

 Conservative MPs have already begun the debate over the referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union, reopening old divisions that once nearly sank the party.

Prime Minister David Cameron has yet to set the date for the in-out referendum -- promised by the end of 2017 -- and is still to negotiate pledged reforms with European partners, but the issue has dominated many fringe events at the party's annual conference in Manchester this week.

"I believe that membership of the EU makes us a stronger country, more prosperous and more secure," said MP Damian Green, chairman of the Conservative European Mainstream group.

"That argument has to be made between now and the referendum, and in particular that argument has to be made inside the Conservative Party."

Fellow MP Gerald Howarth, who has vowed to vote "No" whatever concessions Cameron gains, disagreed.

"Have a look and see how this organisation has evolved since the British people last have a vote in 1975: they change their name and they introduce a shedload of more regulations and we have transferred a shedload of powers," Howarth said.

- 'A very difficult campaign' -

It is currently hard to gauge the relative strength of the party's factions.

There are 22 Tory MPs firmly in favour of a "Brexit", while 47 are leaning towards a "No" vote, according to a study published last week by the think-tank Open Europe.

Only 14 are firmly in favour of staying in, while around 200 remain undecided, said the study.

"It is going to be a very, very difficult campaign," admitted europhile MP Anna Soubry, the minister for small business

.

"We should never underestimate the passion, some would say the obsession that those who want us to leave have."

Britain's loudest anti-EU voice for over two decades has been Nigel Farage, head of the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

 

UK exit from EU would be 'disaster'

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Tuesday that he wanted to do everything possible to keep Britain from leaving the European Union, adding that it would be a disaster for both the British and Europeans.

"I hope that we can convince (the) UK... (to) stay in the EU, because a Brexit would be a disaster for the UK and for Europeans," Schaeuble said during a discussion with students at Sciences Po university in Paris. 

Schaeuble also said that he hoped Britain would join the euro in the coming years.

"It will take some time," he said.

11th Round Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Negotiations

The eleventh round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations will take place in Miami, Florida from October 19 - 23, 2015.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will host a stakeholder forum on Wednesday 21 October from 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. to provide an update on negotiations and solicit input and feedback from interested stakeholders, as well as a press conference on Friday 23 October to discuss outcomes from the negotiations.

Outreach - Latest developments in the EU-Vietnam FTA

Meeting details

• Date: 06/10/2015, 14:30 – 16:30 (registration closed)
• Location: Mansholt room, Charlemagne Building, Rue de la Loi 170, Brussels

The purpose of the meeting is to brief civil society organizations on the status of the negotiations for an EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (FTA) following the agreement in principle reached on 4 August by EU Trade Commissioner Malmström and Vietnamese Minister for Trade and Industry Vu Huy Hoang.

This FTA, for which negotiations started in October 2012, is the most ambitious and comprehensive FTA that the EU has ever concluded with a developing country, the second in the ASEAN region after Singapore, and a further building block towards the EU’s ultimate objective of an ambitious and comprehensive region-to-region EU-ASEAN FTA. This agreement will allow EU exporters and investors to access a fast-growing market of 90 million people and to consolidate their presence in one of the most dynamic regions in the world.

Transport News  - Rail

Tony Plumbe, Chair, Campaign for Better Transport North & West Yorkshire Rail Group.

We welcome the announcement by Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin that work will re-commence on the sequential electrification to key railways in the North to boost economic activity and promote social interaction

 Just putting wires above the TransPennine line from Manchester to York and Selby smacked of cheap, short-term and incoherent planning by Network Rail. Taking a little longer and developing a complementary package of line improvements is highly desirable. It has to be noted, however, that this will take at least four more years than originally planned.

 Low Carbon Truck Trial

 Two yeasr ago, the Department of Transport  co-funded a Low Carbon Truck trial which included use of  duel fuel vehicles, gases and vehicles operating on cooking oil.

The outcome

reductions in :

• Noise and performance
• C02 and Air Quality Emissions reduced

Two years ago, the Department of Transport, the Office for Low Emissions and Innovate UK co-funded a new Low Carbon Truck trial in order to pump prime procurement of low emission HGV technologies. The funds were directed mainly towards duel fuel vehicles, some gas vehicles and some running on used cooking oil. - See more at: http://www.dynesolicitors.co.uk/news_15sep-the-second-annual-report-of-the-low-carbon-truck-trial.htm#sthash.uqwXSmP2.dpuf

Two years ago, the Department of Transport, the Office for Low Emissions and Innovate UK co-funded a new Low Carbon Truck trial in order to pump prime procurement of low emission HGV technologies. The funds were directed mainly towards duel fuel vehicles, some gas vehicles and some running on used cooking oil. - See more at: http://www.dynesolicitors.co.uk/news_15sep-the-second-annual-report-of-the-low-carbon-truck-trial.htm#sthash.uqwXSmP2.dpuf

Low Carbon Truck Trial

Improved driving licence services

The new system allows you to make applications

• access to information advice and guidance
• upload documents
• on line progress tracking
• make applications on line.

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the Department of Transport, the Office for Low Emissions and Innovate UK co-funded a new Low Carbon Truck trial in order to pump prime procurement of low emission HGV technologies. The funds were directed mainly towards duel fuel vehicles, some gas vehicles and some running on used cooking oil. - See more at: http://www.dynesolicitors.co.uk/news_15sep-the-second-annual-report-of-the-low-carbon-truck-trial.htm#sthash.uqwXSmP2.dpuf

the Department of Transport, the Office for Low Emissions and Innovate UK co-funded a new Low Carbon Truck trial in order to pump prime procurement of low emission HGV technologies. The funds were directed mainly towards duel fuel vehicles, some gas vehicles and some running on used cooking oil. - See more at: http://www.dynesolicitors.co.uk/news_15sep-the-second-annual-report-of-the-low-carbon-truck-trial.htm#sthash.uqwXSmP2.dpuf

the Department of Transport, the Office for Low Emissions and Innovate UK co-funded a new Low Carbon Truck trial in order to pump prime procurement of low emission HGV technologies. The funds were directed mainly towards duel fuel vehicles, some gas vehicles and some running on used cooking oil. - See more at: http://www.dynesolicitors.co.uk/news_15sep-the-second-annual-report-of-the-low-carbon-truck-trial.htm#sthash.uqwXSmP2.dpuf

the Department of Transport, the Office for Low Emissions and Innovate UK co-funded a new Low Carbon Truck trial in order to pump prime procurement of low emission HGV technologies. The funds were directed mainly towards duel fuel vehicles, some gas vehicles and some running on used cooking oil. - See more at: http://www.dynesolicitors.co.uk/news_15sep-the-second-annual-report-of-the-low-carbon-truck-trial.htm#sthash.uqwXSmP2.dpuf