This news follows a nosedive in relations between the EU and Argentina over recent months. In March of this year, the Argentine Industry Minister Debora Giorgi contacted 20 major Argentine businesses and called on them to prevent imports from the UK by finding local alternatives. Also in March, the EU, the US and 10 other states wrote a letter of complaint to the WTO highlighting their concerns relating to Argentina’s continuous Import Restricting Policies and Practices. Similarly, the recent nationalisation of the Spanish company Repsol, which has been cited as a major reason for the EU’s moves in the WTO, has further alienated Argentinain the eyes of the EU.

Robert Sturdy, Conservative MEP for the East of England and Vice Chairman of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, has been very vocal in demanding that the EU stand up for the UK against the protectionist and illegal trade practices of the Argentine Government.

Commenting on developments, Mr. Sturdy said: “I have long been a proponent of the EU taking concrete action against Argentina in the sphere of international trade and I am fully supportive of the EU’s decision to file a suit at the WTO.”

“These developments are not surprising. The EU’s recent moves at the WTO follow a long chain of non-fulfilments of Argentina’s international obligations which have been built over a number of years. Argentina must realise that it must abide by the rules, or face serious consequences.”

“It is time for Argentina to stop harassing legitimate British and European business and economic activity”

Ends 

For further information contact: Robert Sturdy MEP– robert.sturdy@europarl.europa.eu

Tel: 01954 211790 or 0032 2284 7294

or visit

robertsturdymep.com

Also quoted on Public Service Europe – http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/1933/eu-considering-wto-complaint-against-argentina

A full version of the letter can be seen below.

Britons now pay 40 per cent of the entire EU beer tax bill, but only consume 13 per cent of the beer sold in Europe. Beer taxes in the UK are now an astonishing 11 times higher than in the largest beer market, Germany.

Robert is backing the campaign by the British Beer & Pub Association, the Society of Independent Brewers and the Campaign for Real Ale, for the Chancellor to abandon planned +5% hike in beer duty, saving 16,000 jobs over the next three years.

According to new analysis by leading economists Oxford Economics for the BBPA:

• The beer and pub sector sustains 73896 jobs in the East of England

• This includes 21855 jobs for 16 – 24 year olds, who have been hit hard by the economic slowdown

• The sector adds £1,629.1 million to the regional economy

• The sector also contributes £773.8 million taxes to the exchequer in the region

• In total the beer and pub sector supports almost 1 million UK jobs and 46 per cent of those employed in the sector are 16 to 24 year olds

Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Sturdy said:

“These figures show how important the brewing and pub sector is in the East of England. I hope the Chancellor will take action to protect these jobs by scrapping the beer duty escalator. This will also help our much-loved pubs, the communities they serve and the important local facilities they provide.”

ENDS

For further information contact: Robert Sturdy MEP– robert.sturdy@europarl.europa.eu

Tel: 01954 211790 or 0032 2284 7294 or visit www.robertsturdymep.com

On the 2nd of March 2012, in the prestigious surroundings of one of the world’s greatest and oldest universities, Robert Sturdy MEP, Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, will be hosting a trade conference aimed at bringing together British SMEs and national and European experts, advisers and officials, to provide essential information to British companies on how to take their business to the world.

The conference will be split into three panel sessions followed by a questions and answer session. There will be an intermission for a buffet lunch which will double as a roaming session, that will provide the opportunity for the panellist and the other attendees to engage directly with one another in order for them to raise concerns, discuss experiences, and make direct contacts with policy professionals and experts.

A number of additional speakers and attendees have been confimed! Confirmed panellists now include Mark Prisk MP – Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, Dr. Syed Kamall - MEP for London, Sean McGuire - Brussels Director of the CBI, John Walker - National Chairman Federation of Small Businesses , Ray Symons - EU Affairs British Retail Consotium, Liz Basing- UKTI, Signe Ratso – Trade Strategy and Analysis European Commission, Emma Jones, Founder of Enterprise Nation and Patrick Crawford – Chief Executive of the UK Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD). For a more detailed agenda please click icon:

Registration Open Now – To register for this FREE conference, or for more information, please contact rwsturdy@btconnect.com.

Alongside the European Parliament’s Sustainable Hunting, Biodiversity, Countryside Activities and Forestry Intergroup and the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (FACE), Mr. Sturdy chaired a very productive discussion that was also attended by Ms. Bastino of the European Commission. The aim of the seminar was to influence the Commission’s upcoming proposal for an EU Strategy on invasive Alien Species, which is expected to be presented in 2012.

Invasive Alien Species are a major cause of biodiversity loss. In the UK the American Grey Squirrel has out competed, and in many parts of the UK replaced, the native red. Aside from the cost to biodiversity there is also a cost to the economy. Invasive Alien Species are estimated to cost theUKeconomy over £2 billion a year. In the EU this figure is estimated to be £10 billion.

Speaking after chairing the event, Mr. Sturdy said:

“Invasive Alien Species are not only clear and present dangers to European biodiversity, their effects are felt by our rural communities and it is thought that they cost the UK and EU billions of Euros every year. It is very important that we recognise the scale of the threat and deal with it accordingly. ”

 Ends

For further information contact: Robert Sturdy MEP– robert.sturdy@europarl.europa.eu

Tel: 01954 211790 or 0032 2284 7294

or visit www.robertsturdymep.com

On the 2nd of March 2012, in the prestigious surroundings of one of the world’s greatest and oldest universities, Robert Sturdy MEP, Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, will be hosting a trade conference aimed at bringing together British SMEs and national and European experts, advisers and officials, to provide essential information to British companies on how to take their business to the world.

The conference will be split into three panel sessions followed by a questions and answer session. There will be an intermission for a buffet lunch which will double as a roaming session, that will provide the opportunity for the panellist and the other attendees to engage directly with one another in order for them to raise concerns, discuss experiences, and make direct contacts with policy professionals and experts.

A number of additional speakers and attendees have been confimed! Confirmed panellists now include Mark Prisk MP – Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, Dr. Syed Kamall - MEP for London, Sean McGuire - Brussels Director of the CBI, John Walker - National Chairman Federation of Small Businesses , Ray Symons - EU Affairs British Retail Consotium, Liz Basing- UKTI, Signe Ratso – Trade Strategy and Analysis European Commission and Patrick Crawford – Chief Executive of the UK Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD).

 Registration Open Now – To register for this free conference, or for more information, please contact rwsturdy@btconnect.com.

The WTO Ministerial Conference, which is usually held every two years, is a high level meeting of all countries and customs unions to discuss important trade issues and make decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.

Mr. Sturdy, who is attending as part of the European Parliaments Trade Delegation, commented on the conference:

“Although it is now clear that a deal surrounding the Doha Development Round is dead, it is encouraging to see that the WTO is still making progress on multilateral level”

“This year’s ministerial conference has seen the conclusion of Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), the accession of new members including Russia and strong pledges against protectionism and the imposition of trade barriers”

“The conclusion of the GPA is an important step in the opening of markets, the dismantling barriers and boosting growth opportunities throughout the global economy. This has been a priority for the EU and is something that I have worked hard to ensure through my recent report on Barriers to Trade which was adopted by the Parliament this week. It is estimated that this agreement will open up extra procurement opportunities worth around £85 billion”

“One of the reasons that we have the WTO is to bring improved global governance and a more stable trading environment to the world economy and the more countries that are included in this system the better. Having four new members, including an important economy such as Russia, can only add strength to this system”

Ends

For further information contact: Robert Sturdy MEP– robert.sturdy@europarl.europa.eu

Tel: 01954 211790 or 0032 2284 7294

or visit

robertsturdymep.com

Removing obstacles to trade between nations is not only important for exporters who can thus better penetrate foreign markets and make more money, but also for consumers who can enjoy a wider choice at better prices. Trade liberalisation in the last couple of decades has pushed tariffs down across the world, but other barriers to trade still present problems.

Tariffs have been lowered and so-called non-tariff barriers removed mainly in the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) through: reciprocal tariff concessions (you lower yours, I lower mine); discipline on non-tariff barriers by limiting export subsidies and imposing strict rules on antidumping procedures, subsidies and standards; and dispute settlement, through which governments can “sue” countries that fail to abide by WTO rules.

How non-tariff barriers are hurting EU companies

A report by British Conservative Robert Sturdy on the negative impact of non-tariff barriers on EU companies was discussed in plenary on 12 December. Among the examples, the report says the EU steel sector is paying more for vital raw materials because Russia has raised export duties on copper and nickel, meaning Russian exporters have to pay higher duties to the Russian government, which means higher prices for EU buyers.

Because of how the US treats the names of European wines including “champagne” it is hard for EU exporters to register and defend geographical indications on their products, causing damage to the reputation of their goods and loss of market share.

Call for clear distinction on NBTs

And, the report says it is almost impossible to register European cosmetics containing new ingredients for more than a year in China, because China lacks the necessary regulatory procedures.

Non registration of cosmetic products because they can’t be properly evaluated can be justified on health protection grounds. Therefore the EP is calling on the Commission to establish a “clear distinction between those NTBs, which give rise to unfair distortions of competition and those which reflect legitimate public-policy aims” such as health and environmental protection.

“Reducing unjustified NTBs and other regulatory obstacles applied by the EU’s key strategic partner countries by means of regulatory dialogue should be one of the key regulatory priorities of the new EU trade policy,” says the report.

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/content/20111216STO34361/html/It-is-not-only-tariffs-that-hamper-free-trade

The announcement from DEFRA was in response to the upcoming EU Welfare of Laying Hens Directive, which comes into force on January 1 2012 and will see a ban on conventional battery cages in favour of enriched, more animal friendly cages. However, whilst the UK has spent £400million to bring its cages into compliance with the new regulations, it is estimated that come the 1st January 2012, some 50 million hens from 13 different member-states will still be producing eggs in non-compliant cages.

What to do with these eggs has been a problem, as their exportation would detrimentally effect the egg producers who have spent large sums of money abiding by the EU rules. The UK government’s proposals will prevent eggs produced in non-compliant cages from entering the market by using ultra violet light identification. The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) will use UV light to pick up small marks left in the shell, immediately after it is laid and before it has hardened, to identify eggs produced in non-compliant cages. If the tell tale wire marks are observed, the eggs will not be allowed to be sold as class A (whole) eggs.  The government has been joined by major supermarkets and food businesses who have pledged that they will not sell or use eggs produced in battery cages.

Following the announcement Mr. Sturdy said:

“Conservative MEPs have worked hard to ensure that the January 2012 deadline was maintain in the face of strong opposition from a number of national governments seeking a further delay”.

“Although the implementation of this directive was the responsibility of the EU’s national governments, the European Commission has been asleep at the wheel, as it has been inept at coming up with proposal to prevent eggs from non-compliant cages entering the EU market”

“Thankfully the UK government has come up with an effective solution to prevent our egg producers from being unfairly penalised simply for sticking to the rules.”

“This is good news for the British egg industry and this is a big step forward for animal welfare.”

Ends

For further information contact: Robert Sturdy MEP– robert.sturdy@europarl.europa.eu

Tel: 01954 211790 or 0032 2284 7294

or visit

robertsturdymep.com