"End sky-high car prices" demands London MEP

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 31st May 2002

London's Lib Dem MEP, Baroness Sarah Ludford, is urging the European Commission to ignore a vote taken in the European Parliament in Brussels yesterday [Thursday 30th May] and push ahead with plans to open up the car market that will lead to lower car prices here in Britain.

Until now the car industry has been largely exempt from tough EU rules on free trade, but the European Commission wants to end the system whereby car manufacturers can control the supply of their cars onto the market. MEPs in the European Parliament were voting on these plans, but the Commission does not have to abide by the vote, which called for the present arrangements to stay in place for an extra two years.

Sarah Ludford MEP commented: "Car manufacturers have far too much influence over the car market, including the price at which cars are sold. They have had it their own way for far too long. We need to deliver a fair deal to consumers here in Britain and across Europe."