EEC lead ban scotched
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LOBBYING by the oil industry bore fruit last month when a move to ban lead from petrol had to be postponed in the European Parliament.
Socialists on the Parliament's environment committee unexpectedly failed to get a majority and the issue cannot now come before the full assembly in Strasbourg later this month.
The Socialists are trying to achieve an EEC ban on leaded petrol to bring the community into line with legislation in the USA.
After the vote, the committee's Socialist chairman Ken Collins {Strathclyde East) bitterly attacked the oil industry's lobbyists.
He said: "They hired the ground floor of one of the most expensive restaurants in Stras bourg for one night for a party to put over their views.
"It must have cost them at least £2,000 — the sort of money that MPs can't afford."
He added: "We've been got at by big business. But in spite of everything we will make progress."
He claimed that lead free petrol could put up the price by as little as 1p per gallon.
The vote in the committee was an 11-11 tie after British Conservative MEPs voted against.
But afterwards the Tories insisted that their vote was merely a tactical move and they intended to press for a ban later.
At present the maximum permitted level of lead in petrol in the EEC is 0.4 grammes per litre with a minimum of 0.15 grammes.
In Britain the level is being reduced by 1985 to the EEC minimum.