EU VIBRATIONS DIRECTIVE: LIZ LYNNE PREDICTS 'COMMON SENSE' CAN STILL WIN

12.00.00am GMT Wed 13th Mar 2002

Lib Dem MEP Liz Lynne says she believes the final text of the EU Vibrations Directive will not cause undue problems for industry - though she would have preferred to keep an exemption for agriculture.

The Euro MP for the West Midlands represents Lib Dems LibDems and the ELDR group on the European Parliament's delegation on the issue, which had a key role hammering out a final compromise on the text with the Council of Ministers and the European Commission.

After a pre-conciliation meeting of the delegation today to consider their negotiating strategy, Liz Lynne said: "The delegation has agreed to limits on whole body vibration of 1.15 m/s2

"Though challenging, 1.15 m/s2 is regarded as feasible by industry organisations such as the Construction Products Association which I have been working closely with. This is the final confirmation that unrealistic plans for lower limits proposed by Socialist MEPs and another by the Conservative EPP group have been totally defeated.

"Although it was the best deal we could get under the circumstances, losing the derogation for agriculture that we won last autumn means it is less good news for farmers. There could be particular difficulties at harvest time."

The 0.7 m/s2 value earlier proposed by Socialist MEP Helle Thorning Schmidt or the 0.8 m/s2 proposed by the PPE Conservative group of MEPs would have limited tractor drivers or dumper truck operators to only 2-4 hours work during an average eight-hour working day, though no quantitative link between whole body vibration and back pain has been

established

Liz added: "The rapporteur's draft proposal - and indeed the very similar proposal from the EPP Conservative group - would have caused thousands or even millions of job losses for no reason.

"But now it is virtually certain that we can agree a sensible joint text with the Council and Commission, both of which already support 1.15 m/s2. It has taken months of lobbying but I believe the final result is a worthwhile compromise.

"I am glad MEPs had the sense to return to the common position of the Council which was 1.15m/s2 - which industry Lib Dem the LibDem ELDR group supported. It amazed me that both the Tory MEPs' parent group the EPP and the Socialist Group, which includes UK Labour MEPs, originally backed such an absurd plan."

Note to reporters: The Physical Agents (Vibrations) Directive sets maximum limits for whole-body vibrations experienced by worker. It must be applied by 2005 for new equipment, with a derogation until 2010 (2014 for agriculture and forestry) for machines already in operation before 2007.

Technical note - the directive still has to go through a third reading and vote in the Parliament but in the light of agreement being reached by the Parliament's delegation and the Council of Ministers this is purely a formality.