NRMM - bypass Whitehall, head to Bruxelles!

This from Sue La Manche...

Ne pas jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain!

As the rhetoric over our relationship with Europe grow ever louder, some of the more enlightened (!) ministers are seizing the opportunity to stand tough and demand greater concessions from Brussels in support of the UK economy and UK businesses.

They would have you believe this is something new, yet the UK has historically been rather successful at securing such amendments. 

Take, for example, Directive 2011/88/EU, the so called Flexibility package of the Non Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) Directive which allows UK businesses to order a limited number of new diesel locomotives, and to re-engine old locomotives at the previous IIIa emissions limit instead of the otherwise mandatory IIIb standard.  

After much negotiation, the Directive was passed into European law in November 2011, triggering a three year period for orders to be placed.

Yet, rather that shout about the great concession we have secured, UK Government has just sat on its hands.  

Halfway through the extension period, the Directive is still not transposed into UK law, to the intense frustration of those businesses looking to invest in new or modified equipment, yet who cannot, in the UK, gain the necessary clearance for their plans.

And, whilst they wait, what is the best advice that Government can offer to industry?

To get approval from the Belgian Safety Authority!

Alice in Regulation-land

As the recession continues to bite it is not only the Train Operating Companies who are feeling the pain.

ATOC is believed to be looking to reduce headcount by 15% - a move which has been welcomed by its cash strapped TOC members.

Of course whilst thousands of jobs are being shed by the passenger facing railway the paper-pushers of Whitehall sleep safe in their beds.

Despite costing the industry many millions of pounds there are no equivalent headcount reductions planned by the Department for Transport and Office of Rail Regulation.

Alas.

Such a head in the sand approach to economic realities resulted in stormy scenes at a recent meeting between owner groups and the ORR.

When pressed on when it might reduce its bloated headcount the ORR made a half hearted offer to reduce staff numbers by 5%... over five years!

Unfortunately, for reasons of taste, it is not possible to print the industry's response to this generous offer.