I wrote a letter to the Commission asking them to clarify what benefits the agreements would have for us, particularly with regards to our agricultural sector.  Below is a copy of the response I received:

As the Honourable Member rightly points out, the EU is a strong exporter of agricultural goods into the Korean market with major exports in pork (EUR 240 million per year), whiskey (EUR 176 million) and dairy products (EUR 99 million).

Today, only 2% of EU agricultural exports to Korea enter duty free. The very high Korean tariffs on these goods would be eliminated thanks to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and – based on current trade – EU agricultural exporters would globally save EUR 380 million currently paid. Producers of dairy products would save almost EUR 30 million and those of processed vegetables EUR 1.7 million. European wine exports to Korea would be duty free at entry into force of the agreement while whisky exporters would enjoy duty free access within three years.

Besides the duty savings on current exports and as Korean agricultural tariffs are currently very high, trade in the agricultural sector is expected to expand significantly once the FTA is in force. Duty free access for agricultural exports to Korea will support exports by EU farmers and food producers and will thus contribute to safeguarding jobs in the agricultural sector.

In addition to improved market access for agricultural products, the FTA will ensure a high level of protection for well known and commercially important European geographical indications (GIs) in Korea. This is particularly important in the highly competitive Korean market.

Not the least, due to the high Korean tariffs, certain EU agricultural exports would appear particularly vulnerable to displacement by United States (US) products should the US-Korea FTA enter into force before the EU-Korea FTA and reduce tariffs on imports from the US.  The EU is currently in a position to see its FTA with Korea become applicable before the US-Korea FTA. In giving its consent swiftly, the Parliament would be making an essential contribution to ensuring that EU agricultural exports get significantly better access to the Korean market, and possibly also increase their market share in Korea.

As you can see, the agreement will bring huge benefits to the UK economy, which is why I will be doing my utmost to ensure that it is ratified as soon as possible.

3 March 2010

Euro MP Robert Sturdy has welcomed the launching of talks towards a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the EU that could allow the Asian country to export more to Europe, the world’s biggest consumer market.

Mr Sturdy, Conservative International Trade spokesman, said these talks were crucial as it was one of several bilateral deals the EU was pursuing with emerging economies with the hope of striking a wider World Trade Organization pact in the near future.

Mr Sturdy said:

“I am delighted that Vietnam and the EU have decided to move towards an FTA.  Although the agreement may be many years in the making, I think that the economies of Vietnam and the EU are well suited, and a deal will lead to great opportunities for both sides, but particularly for the Vietnamese, helping to create jobs and foster development.”

“Some have expressed concern that a bilateral deal with hinder progress on the Doha round of talks at the WTO, but this is not the case.  During his visit to the European Parliament last week Pascal Lamy, the head of the WTO, stated that there was no evidence to support this theory.

“I am also particularly delighted that a new round of free-trade agreement negotiations will be held with Singapore next week following the announcement of our talks with Vietnam, and that we should share a vision as partners in trade and partners in growth.”

The bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations were launched following a meeting between EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi today.

Trade in goods between the two countries was almost €12 billion ($16.27 billion) in 2008 and has increased 12% a year between 2004 and 2008, said the commission, the EU’s executive arm.

Notes to Editors:

1. Robert Sturdy MEP is available for interview on 0032 2284 7294 or through Press Officer Ellee Seymour on 01353 648564 or 07939 811961. Please see Robert’s website at http://robertsturdymep.com

Brussels Wednesday 3 March 2010. Conservative International Trade spokesman Robert Sturdy today welcomed the European Commission’s ambitious trade deal with Peru and Colombia.

The trade agreement is step in the right direction in increasing prosperity in the region and in the development of human rights, he said.

In a statement Mr Sturdy said,

“I welcome the conclusion of the talks and the opportunities that will come forward from this ambitious trade deal.

“It is a step in the right direction towards increasing trade,  prosperity and will undoubtedly bring jobs to the region. In addition stable and sustainable trade will be used to foster development and human rights.

“There are concerns that a bilateral deal will hinder regional integration, but this is not the case.  During his visit to the European Parliament last week Pascal Lamy, the head of the WTO, stated that bilateral deals could be used as a springboard towards more comprehensive regional agreements. I am encouraged by Peru and Colombia’s efforts and hope that other countries in the area will follow suit.”

Sometimes I despair of politicians, I really do.  I have always been a believer in simple, reasonable and sensible policies.  So my confidence in my fellow MEPs was really shaken by some recent new developments.  You may remember the farcical “bendy bananas” and “curvy cucumber” rules dreamt up by Brussels bureaucrats and only recently scrapped.  I was delighted about this, and know many of my constituents felt the same. Disappointingly, I have learnt that we could be returning to those ludicrous rules again – at least if Spanish EPP and Socialist MEPs get their way.

It was a major triumph last year for Conservative MEPs when the European Commission finally overturned the ban of mis-shapen fruit and veg which had been widely ridiculed in the press. Prior to the U-turn, strict marketing standards were imposed for 26 types of fruit and vegetables governing their size and shape. I deplored the fact that bananas which curved too much, as well as oversized apples and knobbly carrots, could not be sold and instead had to be thrown away, wasting a huge amount of healthy food and driving prices up.  I have seen a lot of stupid rules come out of Brussels in my time as an MEP, but however. this ranks among the worst.

Consumers agreed with my beliefs that we should be able to decide what we want our food to look like; we should not be dictated about this from Brussels.  Our farmers, of course, were also delighted as it meant they could sell perfectly good produce, whatever its shape or size.  We need to let the market decide on this one, not the European Parliament.

Conservative MEPs will continue to rigorously oppose any plans to return to those “ban the bendy banana” days!

*Elsewhere this week, we had the big vote on the new European Commissioners who will oversee the various departments of the European Commission for the next five years.  The ECR group, having been central to the re-election of President Barroso for a second five year term, was faced with a tough decision. The idea that we as MEPs can vote on the whole College of Commissioners as a whole is utterly ridiculous.  If you want to reject a single candidate, you have to vote against the entire group.  This “take it or leave” approach means that we were unable to voice our support of the candidates we endorsed, and unable to act against the weak candidates we would have opposed.

I felt that several of the Commissioners were simply not good enough for the demands of their roles.  Firstly, the European Commission is massively powerful and the idea that we might appoint people who were not up to the job should be of great concern.  Secondly, many of the candidates expressed their support for EU powers in the field of taxation, but this is unacceptable to me. Finally, I failed to see why it was necessary to move several of the existing Commissioners to new portfolios, despite them having performed extremely well in their previous positions.  Because of the limitations imposed by the approval system, I reluctantly decided, along my fellow Conservative MEPs, to abstain from voting rather vote in some Commissioners I could not support.

*There was some welcome news about how the European Parliament has thrown its support behind a World Horse Welfare initiative that seeks to end the cruel long distance transport of horses. I signed a written declaration expressing my support for an urgent review of EU legislation governing the welfare of animals during transport to slaughter.  Latest figures estimate that 100,000 horses are transported in atrocious conditions across Europe to slaughter. Imagine a 12 hour journey from Bulgaria or Romania to Italy, often without rest, water or food, and in the stifling heat.  Journeys such as these are inhumane and can lead to exhaustion, injury, pain suffering and stress for the horse.  Most of these journeys are completely unnecessary as slaughter facilities exist across Europe, so why are these horses being transported around like this?  I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of the end of this scandal; it is precisely this sort of issue where the EU can do a lot of good.

Brussels 16 February 2010. Conservative International Trade spokesman in Europe Robert Sturdy MEP, said the European Commission decision to remove trade concessions to Sri Lanka would punish innocent Sri Lankans. The trade concessions are referred to as GSP + status.

Mr Sturdy added that human rights violations cannot be ignored but called on the European Commission to work closely with the Sri Lankan government in tackling any violations instead of punishing the country as a whole.

In a statement Mr Sturdy said,

“I am concerned about the impact that the removal of these trade concessions will have on development in Sri Lanka. Trade is the principal means for development and by taking away their GSP + status, you are limiting the country’s ability to grow.

“I wrote in December 2009 asking the Commission what the economic impact would be if it decided to remove Sri Lanka’ GSP+ status. I am still awaiting a response. Now we have a new Trade Commissioner, with a background in development policy, I would hope for some real answers.

“It goes without saying that human rights violations cannot be ignored. I am calling on the Commission to work closely with the Sri Lankan government over the next few months, to assess the efforts being made to tackle any violations, and to consider how it will support the innocent Sri Lankan people who will suffer as a result of this heavy-handed action.”

Ends

ECR Press Office – Alex Benjamin +32 (0)476 056 450

Robert Sturdy is fully supporting a World Horse Welfare initiative that wants to end the cruel long distance transport to slaughter of Europe’s most vulnerable horses.

Mr Sturdy, along with fellow Conservative MEPs, has signed a written declaration in the European Parliament calling for an urgent review of EU legislation governing the welfare of animals during transport to slaughter. A Written Declaration is similar to a House of Commons Early Day Motion. However, if over half of the Members of the European Parliament sign up to it, it will become a formal resolution of the parliament – possibly resulting in the European Commission coming forward with legislative proposals

Currently some 100,000 horses a year are being transported across Europe to slaughter without rest, food or water. These journeys are inhumane and totally unnecessary.

Latest figures estimate that 100,000 horses are transported in atrocious conditions across Europe to slaughter. Imagine a 12 hour journey from Bulgaria or Romania to Italy often without rest, water or food in the stifling heat.  Journeys such as these are inhumane and can lead to exhaustion, injury, pain suffering and stress.

Mr Sturdy said:

“Most of these journeys are completely unnecessary as slaughter facilities exist across Europe, so why are these horses being moved around like this? Within the UK, transporting a horse in a way that is detrimental to its welfare is a breach of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.  The Act states that a person commits an offence if they are responsible for an animal, either permanently or temporarily and cause the animal to suffer,  or fail to ensure its need are met.

“I have given my support to urgently review and change this legislation to make these loopholes a thing of the past.”

9th February 2010 — The European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament has abstained in today’s vote on the new European Commission, saying that it cannot offer the same confidence in the new college as a whole as it has in President Barroso.

Following the vote, ECR chairman Michal Kaminski said:

“The ‘take it or leave it’ nature of the confirmation vote has meant that we must assess the college as a whole. This is lamentable because there were strong candidates who we would have endorsed, and weak candidates who we would have opposed.

“In today’s vote we have signalled our support for President Barroso, expressed our concerns about the competence of some of the new commissioners, and conveyed our criticism of the confirmation procedure.”

Robert Sturdy said:

“I accepted the ECR position to abstain. However, I have always maintained that we should be able to vote on individual commissioners rather than the whole group, and therefore my instincts were to vote against the entire commission.

“I was also disappointed that Barroso decided to move some existing commissioners when they had already established an extremely strong position in those roles.”

The story has been highlighted in today’s Cambridge News:

MPs ready to fight to keep parts plant open

TWO senior Conservatives have vowed to fight plans to close a Cambridgeshire engineering works.

ThyssenKrupp Tallent at Bourn has been earmarked for closure – with 350 people set to lose their jobs.

Work at the plant, which makes parts for the car industry, will be switched to other locations in the UK.

Andrew Lansley, MP for South Cambridgeshire, has joined forces with Cambridgeshirebased Euro MP Robert Sturdy to protest about the decision.

Mr Lansley said he had written to the chief executive of ThyssenKrupp, pledging to campaign against the closure.

He added: “Not only would the closure of the TKA Tallent Bourn plant ensure the loss of 313 permanent and over 50 temporary staff, but it would close a business that has proved itself productive, profitable and more efficient than other TKA sites”.

Mr Lansley said a performance test carried out by the company had given the Bourn plant a higher rating than other sites operated by the firm. Union officials also claim the plant would remain profitable for the next three to four years, he said.

“When staff at the Bourn site have proved themselves to be hardworking and capable, it is puzzling why ThyssenKrupp would want to outsource these functions to plants that are less experienced and efficient,” Mr Lansley said.

“I have written to the chief executive of ThyssenKrupp to urge him to review his stance and I will continue to campaign for this decision to be reversed.”

Mr Sturdy added: “As far as I am concerned this is an illogical decision, the plant is producing quality products efficiently and profitably.

“It is a real tragedy that even present and future success is no guarantee of survival in this economic climate. I will be doing all I can in lobbying for this decision to be overturned.”

4 February 2010

ROBERT STURDY WELCOMES SUPERMARKET’S CODE FOR FARMERS

Eastern Region MEP Robert Sturdy has welcomed a new code of practice between the UK’s leading supermarkets and farmers which sets out guidelines to ensure the principle of “fair dealing”. It will be monitored by an independent ombudsman.

Mr Sturdy, who sits on the Agriculture Committee, said the guidelines which come into effect today, known as the new Grocery Suppliers Code of Practice, were long overdue. In the past farmers have been penalised unfairly by supermarkets; for example, for not being able to harvest crops on time because of poor weather, something which was beyond their control.

He said: “Supermarkets have had huge control over farmers and many of them no longer want to deal with them any more. They have pushed the price down to such a degree that a lot of farmers are considering withdrawing from supplying most of the major supermarkets. Farmers will just consider growing energy crops if supermarkets continue to force them down in price. Why should they suffer from the unreasonable pressures that supermarkets put upon them?  We need to ensure that farmers are able to make their living from a liberal market free from price distorting practices.”

The new code of practice will provide retailers with clear guidelines for dealing with suppliers and contains an over-riding principle of fair dealings. It means farmers and other suppliers should get a fairer deal from supermarkets following years of complaints that the largest supermarkets have used their buying power to make unfair and unreasonable demands.

28 January 2010

ROBERT STURDY CONDEMNS IVORY TRADE

Eastern Region Euro MP Robert Sturdy has condemned plans by two African countries to sell ivory as he fears it could lead to the slaughter of more elephants and possible extinction.

Robert Sturdy, who sits on both the International Trade Committee and the Sustainable Hunting Intergroup where this has been discussed, believes the European Parliament should strongly object to any plans by Tanzania and Zambia to offload existing ivory stock. There is concern that if sales went ahead, poachers could slaughter more elephants and pass off the ivory as old stock. Other countries led by Mali and Kenya are opposed to this.

With elephant numbers already in decline across a number of African countries, and Sierra Leone’s elephant population wiped out since November, Conservative MEPs   have warned that any moves to grant the sale of ivory would be a disaster and could see the near extinction of African elephants in the wild. The UK government has so far refused to rule out supporting a resumption of sales when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meets in Qatar in March.

Mr Sturdy said: “I am very concerned that supporting these plans to trade ivory could easily lead to a rise in illegal poaching and threaten marginal elephant populations across Africa.  We should be choking demand, not stocking it by legitimising the trade.

“The UK government has a chance to make a difference to the fate of elephants in the coming weeks by supporting this ban. I want the public to get behind my campaign to prevent the ivory trade being given the green light.  I urge people to write to the government, or their elected representative, and asking them get off the fence and follow our lead in opposing the lifting of the ban to help African countries protect their precious but threatened wildlife heritage.”