BRIAN TO MEET WITH NEW US ADMINISTRATION

Whitehaven Euro MP and Labour's Transport Spokeman in the European Parliament, Brian Simpson, will be one of the first European politicians to meet with officials at Barack Obama's new Goverment when it is sworn in at the end of January. The European Parliament is to send three senior members, including Mr. Simpson to Washington in an attempt to resolve many oustanding difficulties in the area of transport between the EU and the United States.

"Under the old Republican regime there was very little progress on a number of civil aviation matters, including better access to the United States for EU airlines and the protection of individuals personal data being sought from Airlines by the US Authorities. If you add to this the American insistence that all sea containers leaving Liverpool or other EU Ports for America should be x-rayed, then it becomes apparent that we need urgent talks with the new US Government to sort these problems out" said Mr. Simpson.

Talks at civil service level with the Bush administration has yielded little progress. The US refuses to allow EU airlines to fly from Manchester to Los Angeles via New York or Chicago (known as 5th freedoms) and they still ban EU airlines or companies from owning U.S. Airlines. In addition they insist that all airlines submit personal data on all passengers to the U.S. Authorities before they allow the plane to fly, which causes data protection problems in the EU, and are refusing to bring Aviation into the Emissions Trading Scheme, which the EU is keen to implement as part of its wider environmental policies.

"The new Obama administration gives us an opportunity to start again in trying to resolve some of these problems. We know the new President is far more environmentally friendly and is keen to co-operate with the EU rather than dictate policy on a take it or leave it basis. Clearly, if we can forge an agreement then the benefits to our own region, the UK and the rest of the EU could be considerable.

On Security we need to work with the US on ensuring that passengers personal data records are not abused, that immigration control is speeded up and that the impractical and unworkable American insistence on x-raying every shipping container is dropped for a system that highlights high risk routes and ports rather than covering all ports" said Mr. Simpson.

Early indications are that the new administration would be happy in February or March to meet with the European Parliament delegation to discuss all transport problems and restart the trans Atlantic dialogue, which have been stalled somewhat for over a year.