03.03.2025: At a meeting hosted jointly by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Music and the APPG for Freight and Logistics, Parliamentarians and industry experts met to discuss the pressing issues surrounding touring in the EU. 

The meeting provided a frank, in-depth look at the regulatory and logistical hurdles facing musicians and hauliers attempting cross-border touring. It built upon many of the findings and recommendations from the APPG on Music’s 2022 report on EU touring and marked the first time the two influential APPGs had come together for a joint meeting.  

Opening the session, previous Shadow Minister for the Arts and Co-Chair of the APPG for Classical Music, Baroness Barbara Keeley, reflected on the impact the evolving regulatory landscape has had on live performance in the EU, particularly for orchestras. She emphasised that while the challenges are significant, collaborative solutions will benefit the entire cultural and haulage sector. 

The session then moved on to an expert panel featuring APPG on Music co-Chair Pete Wishart MP, APPG for Freight and Logistics Chair Rachel Taylor MP, Managing Director at Brian Yeardley Continental Limited Kevin Hopper, Senior Public Affairs Lead at the Road Haulage Association (RHA) Ashton Cull and UK Music’s Director of Campaigns and Engagement, Olga FitzRoy. 

Chairing the panel, Rachel Taylor MP shared how the freight industry employs 20% of her constituency of North Warwickshire and Bedworth, making this a key priority of hers as a new MP.  

Opening his remarks, Pete Wishart MP stated he was “Surprised this is the first meeting we’ve managed to arrange together.” He praised the unique ability of musicians as multi-skilled professionals to navigate the continent despite the issues in the EU. However, he expressed disappointment at the rejection of the youth mobility scheme, which he believes is crucial for encouraging cultural exchange. 

The MPs and Peers in attendance asked a number of interesting questions to the panel, pressing the urgent need for practical solutions. Lord Brennan painted a stark picture of the current landscape and highlighted that shortages of specialist equipment could decimate the live music and touring sectors. Gill German MP asked about the specific impact on working class musicians, while Jonathan Davies MP asked the panel how this topic relates to progress in environmental sustainability.  

Audience questions from the external stakeholders in attendance, which included over 30 representatives from music, freight and logistics, focused on the immediate measures needed to address challenges such as the 90 in 180 days issue and the need for reciprocal arrangements. There was a clear call that changes are urgently needed to avoid huge losses across both industries. 

Ending the session, the MPs and Peers in attendance agreed to keep pressing the Government through questions, letters and debates to Ministers to hold them to account on their promises to the sector. 

Attendees included Jeff Smith MP, Patrick Hurley MP, Zoe Franklin MP, Gill German MP, Jonathan Davies MP, Baroness Keeley, Lord Watts, Lord Brennan, Earl of Clancarty, Lord Clement-Jones, and Lord Strasburger, along with representatives from DCMS, FAC, ISM and a number of representatives from across the haulage sector.