On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 20:21:16 +0000, (Larry
Stoter) wrote:

trufflesdad wrote:

I have just received a load of farm manure for my allotment...The farmer
told me if I wanted any more I must get it before 2004 as the EU were
regarding it as toxic waste and it would need a special licence to be
transported on the public highway...This licence would be specific to the
driver and as he employs casual labour he could not afford all the fees...
Wonder if anyone else has heard about this and if so what can be done
about it....

Several issues here ...

1. The "popular" press do make up stories to fill space and having a go
at the EU is a favorite fantasy space filler, usuallly with no
foundation in fact. Just because it is in the Sun or on Sky news, it's
not necessarily true or even vaguely related to reality.

2. A lot of EU originating legislation (and some UK legislation) is, for
practical purposes, irrelevant. Unless legislation provides for (and
funds) enforcement mechanisms, the legislation is a complete waste of
everbodies' time, unless the police are looking for a nicely obscure
piece of law to have a go at somebody who has upset them.

3. The British really should take a much more robust and commited
approach to the EU - like the French and Germans. If you don't like a
specifc EU law, ignore it. If the barristers who have taken over
goverment start to get difficult, 5 tonnes of fish guts or pig manure in
Whitehall will probably encourage them to reconsider :-))

and British trade organisations, like the British Ship Building
Federation should think twice before forcing things like the
Recreational Craft Directive on the rest of Europe and then blaming
the result on Brussels and the EU.
--
Martin