By the narrowest of majorities (209 in favour, 229 against, 16 abstentions), the European Parliament today rejected a new directive on the liberalisation of port services.

After the vote, the European Liberal Democrat MEP for the East of England, Andrew Duff MEP said:

"This result is a blow for the East of England. The liberalisation of Europe's ports is a key element in their modernisation and effort to become more competitive. The East of England's ports of Felixstowe-Harwich and at Tilbury were well set to profit from the more competitive regime that the law would have introduced. Its rejection is bad for jobs and bad for the environment as business will choose to ship goods by more competitive modes of transport, mainly by road.

"It is shameful that British Labour MEPs voted against the measure. They seem to have been cowed by exaggerated threats from protectionist trade unions. The fact is that the draft directive built in every necessary safeguard for high health, safety and training standards. National labour law was not affected by this EU measure. The port authorities could have set the standards that all service providers had to meet. Our region's ports were well placed to take business from the more rigid, state-owned mainland ports such as Antwerp and Rotterdam.

"Labour MEPs, voting against the wishes of their own government, are directly responsible for the defeat of this important piece of European single market legislation.

"The result of this set back will be a rush to litigation by the Commission and shipowners against the restrictive practices of Europe's ports. This resulting enforced liberalisation will be a good deal more painful for the whole ports sector than the enactment of this sensible and modest directive."

ENDS/...