The move would give *officials in Brussels powers to set a standard design for vehicle registration plates in all EU member states.
If approved, British drivers may even be forced to display the blue-and-gold EU symbol on their cars. And cherished personalised number plates could be banned.
Last night a Tory Euro MP branded the proposal *?idiotic?.
Syed Kamall, leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, said: ?This was meant to be a useful piece of law to make it simpler for people to register their vehicle in a different EU country.
?Instead the Dutch Liberal Democrat MEP working on the legislation has introduced completely unnecessary clauses seeking a common design for all European number plates and a common system of identifi cation tags.
?You can bet your life the common design would incorporate the EU flag.
?British motorists want British number plates ? not European ones.
?Conservative MEPs will be fighting this idiotic plan all the way.?
The proposal has been drawn up by a committee of MEPs in an attempt to reduce fraud and other vehicle crime in motor trades across member states.
Syed Kamall says the Conservatives will try to put a stop to the plan to change number plates [PA]
Conservative MEPs will be fighting this idiotic plan all the way
Syed Kamall, leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament
Matthew Elliott, of the Eurosceptic pressure group Business For Britain, said: ?It is unnecessary, meddling regulations like these which really infuriate business people and the general public alike.
?There is no good reason for the EU to determine how number plates look in individual countries, other than Brussels? desire for further harmonisation, which the British people have repeatedly shown they oppose.?
Under the move, Britain?s traditional system of having a white number plate at the front of a vehicle and a yellow one at the rear could be swept away.
The proposal has been drawn up by the European Parliament?s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, headed by the Dutch MEP Toine Manders.
The proposal calls for the European Commission to look at equipping vehicles across the EU with number plates in ?common colours?.
The move is up for a vote next week.
Sources say it has support and is likely to be passed into EU law. Under present regulations, a motorist can be fined up to ?1,000 for incorrectly displaying number plates.
Until 2008, motorists could be fi ned for displaying any emblem other than the 12-star EU logo on their number plate. But after seven years of wrangling, the law was changed to allow them to display the Union Flag, Cross of St George, Scottish Saltire or Welsh dragon.
Now Tory Euro MPs fear that hard-won victory could be overturned by the latest proposals.
A European Commission spokeswoman last night insisted that proposals were drawn up in response to complaints about the cost and time involved in registering vehicles in cross-border trades.
The commission?s initial proposals did not include ?any measures on changing number plate designs? although changes had been put forward by Euro MPs.
The spokeswoman said: ?The aim of the commission?s plans is to reduce red tape by making it easier, quicker and cheaper for people and companies to re-register their vehicles when moving them across EU borders.?
Plot to axe OUR British number plates for standardised EU design | UK | News | Daily Express
Should give the EU lovers something to fondle themselves with
If approved, British drivers may even be forced to display the blue-and-gold EU symbol on their cars. And cherished personalised number plates could be banned.
Last night a Tory Euro MP branded the proposal *?idiotic?.
Syed Kamall, leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, said: ?This was meant to be a useful piece of law to make it simpler for people to register their vehicle in a different EU country.
?Instead the Dutch Liberal Democrat MEP working on the legislation has introduced completely unnecessary clauses seeking a common design for all European number plates and a common system of identifi cation tags.
?You can bet your life the common design would incorporate the EU flag.
?British motorists want British number plates ? not European ones.
?Conservative MEPs will be fighting this idiotic plan all the way.?
The proposal has been drawn up by a committee of MEPs in an attempt to reduce fraud and other vehicle crime in motor trades across member states.
Syed Kamall says the Conservatives will try to put a stop to the plan to change number plates [PA]
Conservative MEPs will be fighting this idiotic plan all the way
Syed Kamall, leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament
Matthew Elliott, of the Eurosceptic pressure group Business For Britain, said: ?It is unnecessary, meddling regulations like these which really infuriate business people and the general public alike.
?There is no good reason for the EU to determine how number plates look in individual countries, other than Brussels? desire for further harmonisation, which the British people have repeatedly shown they oppose.?
Under the move, Britain?s traditional system of having a white number plate at the front of a vehicle and a yellow one at the rear could be swept away.
The proposal has been drawn up by the European Parliament?s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, headed by the Dutch MEP Toine Manders.
The proposal calls for the European Commission to look at equipping vehicles across the EU with number plates in ?common colours?.
The move is up for a vote next week.
Sources say it has support and is likely to be passed into EU law. Under present regulations, a motorist can be fined up to ?1,000 for incorrectly displaying number plates.
Until 2008, motorists could be fi ned for displaying any emblem other than the 12-star EU logo on their number plate. But after seven years of wrangling, the law was changed to allow them to display the Union Flag, Cross of St George, Scottish Saltire or Welsh dragon.
Now Tory Euro MPs fear that hard-won victory could be overturned by the latest proposals.
A European Commission spokeswoman last night insisted that proposals were drawn up in response to complaints about the cost and time involved in registering vehicles in cross-border trades.
The commission?s initial proposals did not include ?any measures on changing number plate designs? although changes had been put forward by Euro MPs.
The spokeswoman said: ?The aim of the commission?s plans is to reduce red tape by making it easier, quicker and cheaper for people and companies to re-register their vehicles when moving them across EU borders.?
Plot to axe OUR British number plates for standardised EU design | UK | News | Daily Express
Should give the EU lovers something to fondle themselves with
) 
....wonder if you can get a ticket driving backwards?
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