First reply has returned from messages I sent today, this is from Stuart Agnew but the reply actually came from Stuart Gulleford Political Advisor to Stuart Agnew MEP, Thank you for your email about the new digital download VAT rules being brought in by the European Commission, addressed to Stuart Agnew MEP. He has asked me to reply to you on his behalf. Mr Agnew greatly sympathises with your views and finds it very frustrating to see entrepreneurship, such as yours, being suffocated by the EU. As you would expect, the UKIP MEPs are strongly opposed to such legislation because of its disproportionate and damaging effect on small businesses. Unfortunately, this particular legislation is already in force and it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to get it changed. There is not really any mechanism for challenging legislation introduced by the unelected European Commission and it would require large scale support from MEPs from the other member states, where there is no real appetite for challenging the Commission. I am attaching the briefing notes that HMG sent to UK MEPs on this subject. Needless to say, we do not agree with everything in this document. You may also find the article at this link of interest: telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/11268706/Victory-for-UK-micr o-firms-as-HMRC-tweaks-EU-VAT-MOSS-rule.html You should be aware that the EU is a playground for big business interests who delight in the fact that they can send expensive lobbyists to Brussels i.e. one place, to influence huge international markets. SMEs do not have such luxuries and it is no surprise that the unelected European Commission’s legislative approach generally tends to favour big business interests, who can afford to implement expensive new legislative or licensing regimes. Big business is quite happy to see its smaller competitors fail because of the burden of EU red tape. Consumer interests tend to get trampled under-foot as well as they end up paying higher prices to cover the impact of the new legislation and because of the failure of smaller suppliers, who can no longer offer competitive products. You should be aware that MEPs do not make EU policy, which is the exclusive province of the Commission. They do not even have the capacity to initiate legislation, which is also the exclusive province of the Commission. There are no Private Members Bills in the European Parliament and no Early Day Motions, both of which can be initiated at Westminster. It is not a real Parliament in any sense. It has been created in order to provide the illusion that the EU is democratically accountable. Mr Agnew does his best to speak up for the interests of small businesses, which he believes are the lifeblood of our economy and he will highlight the inequalities of this new legislation, whenever opportunities arise in the course of his work as an MEP. However, he remains convinced that the EUs system of government is corrupt, anti-democratic and weighted heavily against small businesses. He believes that the only long term solution is for the UK to leave the EU. Best wishes Stuart Gulleford Political Advisor to Stuart Agnew MEP
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 17:08:51 +0000
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