THE MEGEVE ARRESTS: Points of View

In what may perhaps be one of the season's more dramatic headlines, we are informed this week that "there's a war going on in the French Alps".  This follows on from the "British ski hosting ban" case, which awaits an appeal at a court in Chambery this spring.

The outrage centres on the arrest of Simon Butler and six of his colleagues in Megeve. Here's the PlanetSki overview.

It's not a new debate, indeed the specific controversy surrounding Simon Butler skiing has been going on for years.  Ten years, in fact, according to Le Dauphiné.

This latest news saw Boris Johnson take to the Telegraph to ask "what kind of system is it that allows French buses on the streets of London but forbids English (sic) ski instructors on the slopes of the French Alps?"

Meanwhile, UKIP's Paul Nuttall made a speech in the European Parliament declaring the whole thing to be a "disgrace", citing an understanding with EU Commissioner Barnier which has apparently now been broken by the French authorities.

And on Wednesday's Today Programme: MEP Emma McClarkin app says the "EU should take urgent action", and went on to have a meeting with the said Commissioner Barnier.

The subsequent statement from Mr Barnier's office plays a rather straight bat, suggesting he may not quite agree with Mr Nuttal's understanding of his position.  It says that "suggesting the Single Market does not work for ski instructors is wrong", while also pointing out that his office has received complaints and is investigating.

As ever, there are two sides to every story.  Here's Linley Lewis, Director of Basecamp Ski and Snowboard who declaries that "to call this "anti-British" is ludicrous".  The current French set-up was developed to deal with the problem of under-qualified French ski instructors, he says.

What appears to make France extra-tricky for would-be instructors is that, in addition to BASI Level 4, you need to past the Euro Test, which is based on being able to race very fast down a slalom course.

BASI itself does not appear particularly impressed with all the hoo-ha, and states curtly that "factual content does not always make good copy".  They provide a useful guide to their understanding of the qualifications required to work in France, and say they will update members as and when the situation changes.

The "War Zone": Megeve, January 2014