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

Venue: Robinson College, University of Cambridge on the 2nd of March 2012.

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.

Confirmed panellists 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, Federation of Small Businesses National Chairman, a number of national and European experts, Members of the European Parliament and Senior European Commission Officials.

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

 Eastern region Conservative MEP: Geoffrey Van Orden, Robert Sturdy, Vicky Ford and David Campbell Bannerman. This event is sponsored by the Conservatives in the European Parliament (European Conservatives and Reformists Group).

Toyota plans to invest the money by consolidating the production of the hatchback version of its European produced C-segment vehicles, which include the petrol, diesel and hybrid variants, within theUK. This will see Toyota steadily increase its UKwork force over the next two years, with the first recruitment phase of 500 workers expected from the middle of 2012.

Robert Sturdy, speaking shortly after the announcement, said:

“This great news for the UK’s manufacturing sector, especially for the British car industry. The production changes announced today will lead to new investment and higher employment levels in Toyota’s UK factories.”

“From a trade perspective, this investment is a fantastic example of international trade at its best; boosting British industries, creating jobs and driving economic growth.”

“We always hear about the decline of the UK’s production but this news is a shining endorsement of British industry that will ensure that the UK continues to produce high quality products for the global marketplace”

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

Speaking after the event, Robert said:

“There are more than 1.2 million people with Parkinson’s disease in Europe today and this number is expected to double in less than 20 years.”

“I would like to commend the EPDA for their efforts to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease within the European political arena and European society at large. It is vital we all clearly understand Parkinson’s and the tremendous impact it has on people’s daily living so that its sufferers can continue to participate within society.”

Ends

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

Tel: 01954 211790 or 0032 2284 7294

or visit

robertsturdymep.com

In a meeting of national farming ministers earlier this week, Commissioner Dali outlined the Commission’s plan to send out warning letters to the 11 member-states, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal and Romania, that have yet to fully implement the ban, calling on them to update the Commission on the status of their preparations for the pending ban.

Mr. Dali also noted that the Commission remains fully committed to the ban and indicated that the Commission is poised to launch infringement proceedings from January 2012 against those member-states which have failed to comply with the ban in time.

According to current figures, EU officials estimate that there will be some 51 million hens held in illegal battery cages when the laying hens directive enters into force at the beginning of next year.

Robert Sturdy speaking inStrasbourgafter the event was cautiously optimistic about the statement:

‘Although I welcome the news that the Commission is finally coming to terms with the scale of the problem, I fear that the number of member-states not fully compliant and the number of eggs being produced from illegal cages will be too big a task for the Commission to handle.’

‘I have been very critical of the way in which the Commission has handled this mess but some of the blame certainly falls at the feet of the non-compliant national governments. Both have had 12 years to get their houses in order and have failed miserably. UK farmers on the other hand should be praised for their efficiency in implementing the directive.’

‘It is imperative that the EU finds a solution to this problem and ensures that those farmers that have implemented the directive do not face a competitive disadvantage from cheaper, less animal friendly eggs from non-compliant countries’

Ends

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

Tel: 01954 211790 or 0032 2284 7294

or visit

robertsturdymep.com

Over the past couple of years body scanners have been increasingly used across the regions airports to improve security. They either display an outline of the passenger’s body, or project possible suspicious items on a generic outline of a human figure. However, there have been concerns regarding the personal privacy and safety implications of the scanners.

Today’s proposals would ensure that any images are not stored or copied, and they would require the staff analysing the images to be in a separate room from where the screening is conducted. They also require passengers to be given the option of choosing an alternative method of screening. The ‘no scan. no fly’ policy in the UKhas proven to be controversial, particularly for those concerned about the health risks.

The new rules also ban the use of x-ray technology which has raised concerns regarding long-term health consequences.

Mr Sturdy said:

‘Any security procedures at our airports must carefully balance the safety of the passengers with personal privacy and convenience of travel.’

‘Body Scanners are unfortunately a necessary tool in this day and age but there must be strict rules in place to prevent their misuse. These rules that have been proposed are a welcome step in the right direction.’

‘This news is especially important for the East of England as we have two of London’s important satellite airports’

Ends

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

Tel: 01954 211790 or 0032 2284 7294

or visit

robertsturdymep.com