EU crack-down on boat engines

THE latest blow to the boating fraternity from the European Union is a limit on boat engine emissions to bring them into line with road vehicle standards.

The new regulations include all engines whether petrol or diesel, in such things as lawn mowers, chain saws, generators and anything with a petrol engine including cruiser engines. All diesel engine equipment such as builders dumper trucks and even excavators as well as farm machinery such as tractors and combine harvesters will have to comply.

Especially hard hit

The plan is to reduce carbon emissions on all engines, but the boating fraternity will be especially hard hit as there are doubts that manufacturers of such small quantities of boat engines, whose numbers are even more reduced by the reduction in new builds, will take it upon themselves to stand the costs of producing entirely new engines to meet the new pollution regulations that the EU is intent upon introducing.

Already some engine manufactures have stated that they will not produce engines for the new standards but will simply withdraw from an unprofitable market. With a spokesman for the industry, Paul Candela stating that at present no manufacturer produces a boat engine that meets the new regulations. It will be the end of the traditional boat engine too, as they just do not comply with the new regulations, and it seems unlikely that a manufacture would produce a new one for such a limited market.

Great Concern

On the continent, where barges are still widely used on its waterways, there is great concern, with Theresia Hacksteiner of the European Barge Union stating:

"The new standards will have dire consequences for barge and narrowboat engine manufacturers in producing engines to meet the stringent new rules."

It all started with vacuum cleaners and the like, with the new rules limiting their electric motor wattage, that caused a run on nigh wattage models, with such as electric kettles, toasters and a myriad of other such appliances to be regulated.

How it all will be regulated is not known, only that all new engines will have to comply.

UKIP

But it is all now getting really serious, with our government seemingly knuckling under everything that those at the EU foister upon us, so perhaps a statement from Paul Nuttal, UKIP EU MP for the North of England sums them up:

"Theses people are fanatics. They are so blind to their own failings.  They need to stop, take a deep breath and take a look at themselves."