Interesting letter from Euroland

[LeytonC]

i am posting this as a link - but please read this letter and comment.

Letter about red diesel from Euro commissioner on taxation. (http://www.extar.co.uk/EuroLetter1.gif)

Someone somewhere either a) knows nothing or b) government is lying

[LeytonC]

Just in case - thought i would mention that if the letter looks to small to read, you need to expand it out. (in explorer, hover over it and click on the icon in the bottom right hand corner (the one with the 4 crosses on it), in Firefox just left click)

Basicaly the letter says the uk has not formally applied for an extention to derogation for red diesel in private marine sector.

[SimonC]

It's true:

Red diesel blog (http://www.ybw.com/mbm/redalert/blog/20060515143536redalert_blog.html)

The government was awaiting a "communication" from the Commission, advising of its initial thoughts. See this thread for more:

Red diesel thread (http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1094325/page/3/fpart/all/vc/1/nt/3)

or the MBM news story:

News story (http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20060604124243mbmnews.html)

I believe there is a meeting in the Treasury to discuss the matter today; the proposal clearly needs to go in very soon.

Simon

[Andrew_Fanner]

I am both unsurprised and incensed. Just somehow I get the feeling the some politico or indeed unlelected bureaucrat has his, or her, finger firmly in on this matter.

[Hirdsp]

I just feel that the fight is over....I know that is a defeatist attitude, but I don't think the EU give a monkeys what us boaters think or pay, and a deal will be struck behind closed doors. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Andrew_Fanner]

[ QUOTE ]
I just feel that the fight is over....I know that is a defeatist attitude, but I don't think the EU give a monkeys what us boaters think or pay, and a deal will be struck behind closed doors. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yet further reason, if it were needed, to get out. Democracy anyone?

[GC1]

What about all that nonsense with MPS' holding up posters, they have done [--word removed--] all and just got their faces in the press. All a lot of hot air and spin if you ask me /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Anyway, look on the brightside, it's still going to be cheaper than petrol and more mpg, so no big deal really /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[mikef]

Simon, what happened to the 'minded to apply for an extension of the derogation' position set out in this year's Budget statement? This seems to be blatant backtracking. Now it seems that the govt is waiting for the EC to tell them whether they can apply for an extension which is a different position altogether. In fact, if I was cynical (which I am), I would say that the govt were never really minded to apply for an extension and were simply looking to find a way of blamimg the EC for not applying for the extension

[PCUK]

The EU rope will hang us all!
If we let it, along with "Tiny Bliar"

[Andrew_Fanner]

Demand that your MP bring forward a motion to decouple UK taxation from the EU?

[Hirdsp]

Still can't get my head around the EU taxation.....if we are to "Come in line" with red deisel, how come we pay up to x4 tax on car petrol compared with a lot os EU countries.....am I missing the point?

[fireball]

Yes - entirely .... we have to come inline with EU so we pay the same or more tax as everyone else ... if we pay more they don't care .. if we pay less they say it isn't fair and throw their teddies out the pram.
Just another usual "Screw the UK - they are all rich gits" plan.

[SimonC]

Mike

Position from the Treasury is that they wanted to hear the Commission's initial thoughts and their arguments so that the proposal from the UK was sure to push the right buttons.

That seems fair enough, but they clearly need to pull their fingers out now, or it was all just empty promises.

The Treasury is adamant that this is not the final word, and that the Commission often takes up extreme positions initially and softens them as Member States complain.

From our side of things, it looks like this will all be over - one way or the other - in the next couple of months, so it's vital we do all we can before then.

Simon

[KevB]

Contains a few nice statistics

http://www.waterways.org.uk/Seeing%20Red%20Final%20Version%20July.pdf