
Violent mobs of dockers opposing the directive had gathered outside the parliament in Strasbourg and, sure enough, the MEPs caved into the pressure and voted against the directive by a massive margin of 532 to 120.
Today, we now learn that the commission has given up any hopes of reintroducing the directive and has formally issued a statement declaring that national governments had "expressed their reluctance" on part of the draft law - which the European Parliament also rejected in January.
The commission is now to "look at alternatives at the end of April" to help Europe's ports expand to cope with a boom in shipping.

In the past, however, the commission has always sought to broker a deal, even if it waters down its original proposal – as it has done with the services directive – but I cannot recall a single instance where it has given up completely and walked away from one of its own directive.
In a small way, therefore, history has been made today. There is a trickle of water escaping from the dam. How long before it becomes a flood?
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