Telegraph.
Typical EU meddling, they do something that appears to satisfy their environmentalism only for it to have an effect on England (not that they care) They trample over a tradition going back over a century and rob us of jobs and national pride.The English cricket bat industry is under threat following a new EU law that prevents willow being exported outside Europe, it has been claimed.
A European Directive introduced last month has banned the use of the insecticide Methyl Bromide which is used to treat the wood before it is exported to be turned into cricket bats.
However, the wood cannot leave the country without a fumigation certificate and the industry's main markets in India, Pakistan and Australia do not currently accept any alternative treatment for the wood apart from Methyl Bromide.
Only four Essex-based companies export English willow to the rest of the world and suppliers say their businesses could close down in three months if a solution is not found.
J S Wright and Sons, of Great Leighs, is the world's largest and oldest supplier of bat willows - called clefts - having started trading in 1874.
Nick Wright, from the firm, said 40 staff would lose their jobs if the Forestry Commission cannot find a suitable chemical alternative.
Geoff Watling, of Anglian Willow Services the second largest willow supplier, said a chemical called Phosphane could be used but it hasn't been approved.
He said: "They say a form of heat treatment can be used but that actually splits willow, so we are basically left with nothing.
So are our politicians wading in to tell them where to get off? Well no, not really, they're too busy electioneering, the bureaucracy though are intransigent.
A Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman confirmed: "Under the Montreal Protocol methyl bromide was banned from 2005 in the developed world, except for quarantines, pre-shipment and critical uses.In other words our traditions count for nothing and one of our national games can no longer use bats made in our own country and English companies and craftsmen will be out of work because none of our politicians gave a damn or made cricket bats an exception to the rules.
"Methyl Bromide is no longer allowed at all from March 19, 2010."
Can we just leave, now, please?
9 annotations:
I'm sure they do it on purpose, QM, I hate them!
I could bloody well CRY.
paulo
The UK is now controlled from Brussels and as the UKIP guy said: "In this general election we are not electing a government. The government is in Brussels!"
"Typical EU meddling, they do something that appears to satisfy their environmentalism only for it to have an effect on England.."
Of course, if it affected any other country, they'd simply ignore it...
It's clearly the European Union in need of fumigation, not the cricket bats.
EU sceptics would look less ridiculous if the did not copy and paste every Daily Mail article.
First of all these bats are not even produced in the UK anymore by large, only the wood is still of British origin (at least partially it seems).
The Montreal agreement banning a dangerous chemical is not an EU thing, but was signed on a global level. The EU is merely complying with it.
If India is incapable or unwilling to comply, maybe the British company should take the chance of producing bats on a larger scale again, those that are not a danger to the environment.
Or are those uber-patriotic Britons not ready to pay a higher price for? If not, their patriotism obviously goes not all that far.
Well anonymous, as the article came from the Telegraph, quoted the business, quoted the local councillors and was enforced by the EU as part of an EU directive. It seems the only one with egg on their face is you and the hated EU you seem to love beyond the bounds of decency.
Incidentally if the Montreal agreement affects the EU, why doesn't it affect Australia, India or Pakistan?
Or are you so far up the collective arse of the EU that you cannot see common sense any more?
I don't have a lot of sympathy for the bat makers, as this has been coming for 23 years as part of the Montreal Protocot, if they can't be arsed to find an alternative in all that time they deserve to go out business.
BTW the phase out does affect australia, but they have already pretty much completed their phase out '09.
I think you're missing the important point, which isn't about Euro meddling. This will force English 'batmakers' to actually have their bats produced in England, instead of the current situation of English trees being shipped to India/Pakistan to be made in to bats and then turned around and shipped back to England to be sold in our shops to be used on the cricket fields of England. Is there anything actually wrong with that, apart from for the Indian batmaker on £5 a day?
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