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5th November 1983
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

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by Keith Vincent

Our attitude must change

THE POLITICAL silly season, sometimes known as Party Conference time, is over. For the next eight months political life in Britain will be dominated by the next general election.

Not the Westminster variety the Government's large majority means that this is unlikely to take place much before 1988.

The election referred to will take place next June, for all the 81 seats which make up the British contingent in the 434-seat European Parliament.

Why bother? Unlike Parliamentarians in any other democratic institution, the MEPs do not legislate.

A haulier writing to his Westminster MP about unfair British law the penal level of vehicle taxation, say may not expect much action, but at least he is going to someone with ultimate power over the situation.

But writing to an MEP about some of the EEC's foolish laws on drivers' hours, say is quite futile. MEPs can only advise on legislation. And their advice is usually ignored. Is it any wonder that their activities go almost totally unreported?

In other words, do next year's Euro-elections matter?

This time round at least they might matter, above all to Britain. For the Parliament is not totally powerless. It cannot legislate, but it has control over that most important thing money.

Someone once unkindly compared the European Parliament to a chicken. The fact that the bird cannot fly does not prevent it from laying eggs. And Britain is looking for an enormous egg, in the shape of a large rebate several hundred millions from our unjust contribution to the EEC's finances. And that rebate could come in a form particularly helpful to the transport industry. So it is worth looking into what is involved.

The EEC's crazy agricultural policy has finally brought the Community to the edge of bankruptcy. Although ways and means have been found to tide things over for the rest of this year, the fundamental problem can be evaded no longer. Either farm spending must be cut back, or the total EEC Budget must be increased.

The farm lobby has a strength which must turn road hauliers green with envy. So the most that can be expected on the expenditure side of the account is some modest trimming back of farm spending, and even that will be difficult to achieve.

MEPs would love to see more EEC spending, not merely to support their own pet projects, but above all because increased EEC spending means increased power for the European Parliament.

But EEC cannot spend money on what it likes. Spending must pursue policies which are in line with the Treaty of Rome. And there can be no doubt that the most neglected policy area is the Common Transport Policy, on which very little progress has been made.

An increase in the Community budget could neatly solve two of Britain's problems.

If we started to get more of what the Prime Minister understandably calls "our money" back from the EEC Britain could drop its demand for a fundamental review of the financing system, which raises all sorts of problems for all other members.

And if that extra money flowing back from Brussels were spent on restoring and improving Britain's neglected transport infra-structure many other problems would be solved at the same time. Jobs "real jobs", in the Prime Minister's phrase would be created. And the whole of Britain's industry would benefit from better communications.

It all sounds too good to be true, and there are certainly snags. For one, the money cannot be spent on any old piece of transport infrastructure. It has to be a facility which is important to internal EEC transport. Until now Britain has been very wary of this idea, since the most urgent demands seem to be for improving roads through Austria and Yugoslavia both outside the EEC in order to make it easier to get to and from Greece.

But there is absolutely no reason why a second crossing of the Sew-rn, now being pressed on the Government by the RHA and FTA, should not equally be regarded as of Community interest. It would certainly help the increasing number of Irish hauliers who transit Great Britain to reach the European mainland, as well as the smaller traffic in the opposite direction.

It is too late for the M25 to benefit in this way. But the absence of service facilities, to which the FTA recently drew attention, might qualify. So might the M40 extension.

However, there is yet another snag. EEC funds are supposed to be additional to what national Governments were planning to spend in any event.

The British Government, however, has always refused to accept this, and has simply used the small amount of EEC money to reduce its own expenditure, not to expand its programme. If we are to reap the benefits of extra EEC money this attitude would have to change.

The first direct elections for the European Parliament in 1979 should have been a major step forward in the development of the EEC. For the first time in history, multi-national

democracy was in action. Vote in 10 countries were voting fol those who would represent 2-) million citizens in a body whic hoped to have a profound effe on their lives.

The reality, at least in Britair was very different. Less than I. the electorate turned out. And today only a tiny minority kno the name of their MEP. Indeec many probably do not even realise that they have an MEP

Most people think that next time things will be different. T Labour Party knows that the elections will be seen as a tesi its renewed vigour under nerd% leadership. So in contrast to tl sullen attitude to the EEC displayed in 1979, the Party w be campaigning vigorously. E will the Tories and the Allianc Here is an opportunity for tt transport industry to press its case. Each candidate should t asked to state his attitude to tl idea of increased Community investment in transport infrastructure. Although the associations have a part to pli it should not all be left to then Individual electors should ma 'a point of button-holing candidates on the issue. So, perhaps, might the Chartered Institute of Transport.

But the main need is to resi the temptation to regard the whole election campaign as ji another Eurobore. For it coule matter a lot. The farmers will certainly take it seriously. ThE transport industry should fall their example.


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