Thanks bhead for your example. I have ATC colleagues who assure me there is nothing they can do about the above mentioned practice. 20 knots closure will very easily become 40 or 50 knots when you a) slow the slower a/c and give it a heading, and b) accelerate the faster a/c...... As for what's happening on the other side of the FIR we don't know, granted, but I certainly agree with the idea of putting us all in a hold at LIMES for example. The new standard ATC phraseology at the FIR boundary 250-300 miles out " reduce to 250 knots", " reduce to minimum clean speed", is terribly inefficient and unnecessary.