Fight to protect UK ports including Southampton and Dover continues
Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder has vowed to continue fighting to protect UK ports from potentially damaging EU rules, after MEPs today voted against an exemption for private ports such as Southampton and Dover. The Port Services Regulation is aimed at improving the competitiveness of ports across Europe. But representatives from ports including Southampton and Dover, which are relatively small and privately owned, are worried the proposal as it stands could force them to put services out to tender. They argue that they are already competitive and rely on private investment, so don't require the same measures as large ports on the mainland which are dependent on state subsidies.
