Caravan MOT

[raywell]

Here is a copy of a reply to an email I sent to my MEP in regard of the proposed tests. Makes interesting reading.

Thank you for raising your concerns with me over the extension of the MOT test to include caravans.

On 2nd July Labour MEPs supported your position and voted to exempt caravans from the MOT testing regime. However we were defeated by a majority from other countries.
Although I agree with you in the case of the UK, I understand that some MEPs from other countries raised concern over caravans in not good condition crossing borders and causing road safety hazards in other EU countries.

Now that the European Parliament has adopted its official position, the next part of this process is for the European Parliament to begin negotiations with the Council (where the 28 national governments sit). The Council position is to delete all trailers below 3.5 tonnes from the scope of the testing regime. The Council and the European Parliament will have to find a compromise position on this issue. It is difficult to predict the outcome of the negotiations at this stage, but given the Council position there is some hope that Council will water down the provisions regarding caravans.

I would encourage you to also highlight your concern to your local MP and the UK government if you have not done so already.

Yours Sincerely,
Linda McAvan
Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber

 

[SteveW77]

Here is a copy of a reply to an email I sent to my MEP in regard of the proposed tests. Makes interesting reading.

Thank you for raising your concerns with me over the extension of the MOT test to include caravans.

On 2nd July Labour MEPs supported your position and voted to exempt caravans from the MOT testing regime. However we were defeated by a majority from other countries.
Although I agree with you in the case of the UK, I understand that some MEPs from other countries raised concern over caravans in not good condition crossing borders and causing road safety hazards in other EU countries.

Now that the European Parliament has adopted its official position, the next part of this process is for the European Parliament to begin negotiations with the Council (where the 28 national governments sit). The Council position is to delete all trailers below 3.5 tonnes from the scope of the testing regime. The Council and the European Parliament will have to find a compromise position on this issue. It is difficult to predict the outcome of the negotiations at this stage, but given the Council position there is some hope that Council will water down the provisions regarding caravans.

I would encourage you to also highlight your concern to your local MP and the UK government if you have not done so already.

Yours Sincerely,
Linda McAvan
Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber

 

[SteveW77]

At least she replied, mine didn't bother.

 

[otherclive]

I have had a reply from all of my MEPs and they all seem to support caravans not being included. Right from the time this topic was first raised I wrote to my local MP so that he was aware of the issue and could perhaps liaise via party lines with the respective MEPs. Also being in the Coalition I felt he should be aware that the Council of Minsiters would be involved and with a General Election due in 18 months time it would not be sensible to annoy his potential supporters!

 

[Damian]

I have had a reply from Nigel Farage, one of my area MEP's as follows.
Makes interesting reading !!

Thank
you for your email, outlining your concerns with EU legislation impacting
caravanning. Mr Farage has asked me to reply.

UKIP
will certainly continue to oppose this unnecessary and overbearing EU
Regulation. EU Regulations are the most undemocratic and anti-democratic form
of EU legislative instrument, guaranteeing autocratic inflexibility and
arbitrary one-size-does-not-fit-all inconveniences. We voted against it in
Strasbourg legislative full plenary and opposed it in the Transport committee,
and of course within speeches and various media outlets.

In the
link below you’ll see Derek Clark, one of our MEPs speaking about the MoT on
Caravans…

http://www.ukipmeps.org/articles_699_Caravan-owners-need-no-new-EU-regulation.html

It may
be said that caravan MOTs make no sense, and arbitrarily single-out caravans
from other forms of heavy trailer, but the EU simply won't listen to such
arguments. It is part of EU policy to favour public transport (stated on
the Commission website), and therefore to discourage private transport, and
that means road transport in particular, with trains being somewhat favoured as
these are more easily planned and regulated by a central bureaucracy such as
the Brussels Commission, many of whom are from former communist regimes (for
example Siim Kallas, the current Transport Commissioner). All this is easily
summed up in the generic observation that the EU is simply a giant ‘tax and
control’ machine. UKIP is a libertarian party, we support the rights and
freedoms and liberties of the individual against the machinery of the State
(see paragraph 2.5 of the UKIP constitution, attached). This most particularly
included freedom of movement, on roads and by other means.

Excuses
and spurious reasoning regarding safety and pollution emissions are used to
impose their will, the motorcyclists have been similarly up in arms in the last
two years about motorcycle type improvements which are the first steps in
forcing them off the roads entirely. The real aim is tax and control.

It will
be clearly seen from the existing good behaviour and sensible practices of the
caravanning public that self-regulation and the existing rules of the road
under UK law are quite sufficient in terms of controls and safety. We fully
support your concerns, and would urge you to also contact your local MP and ask
them to also lobby their MEP colleagues directly, and feedback via political
party mechanisms which will have further impact in Brussels and may multiply
your leverage greatly with so many UK elections impending in the next three
years. I am sure you realise that the threat of hostile voting can be even more
powerful than actual hostile voting. By observing to them in writing that the
creation of a permanent pool of hostile voters is going to affect the old three
parties in perpetuity, not just until the resolution of this piece of unwise
and unfair legislation, you will gain a most useful tool in your campaign.

You can
be assured that UKIP is against Caravan MoTs but now that the debate has moved
to the Council of Ministers you would be well advised to highlight your
concerns to the UK Transport Minister (and perhaps remind him that UKIP are
standing-up for caravaners).