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  • EU Myths and Rumours

    Hey! An EU thread not started by someone in a coal bunker(pensioners can't afford the real thing unlike Herr Hitler) in Somerset.

    The Free Press like to throw in the odd EU regulation gone mad story on Poor news days. The outlawing of the bendy banana or cucumber to name one of their favourites. So this thread is to debunk and explain the parts the press left out with facts.

    Goodbye bendy bananas, farewell curved cucumbers, so long chunky carrots

    Europa.eu
    The Press: EU regulations mean the end of bendy bananas, curved cucumbers and chunky carrots. Greengrocers must conform to the myriad of rules covering size, length, colour and texture of fruit and vegetables.
    (The Times, 19 December 2003)
    The Facts: Bananas are classified according to quality and size for international trade. Individual governments and the industry have in the past had their own standards with the latter's, in particular, being very stringent. The European Commission was asked by national agriculture ministers and the industry to draft legislation in this area. Following extensive consultation with the industry, the proposed quality standards were adopted by national ministers in Council in 1994.
    The diameter of the fruit is a way of measuring its maturity/development. Fruit grown organically or conventionally have to reach a certain degree of maturity in order to have a reasonable chance of satisfying the consumer. The minimum diameters laid down by standards are usually fixed at a level at which most fruit are of a satisfactory quality for consumption. This minimum stage of development does not depend on the method of production, but more on cultivation techniques diminishing the number of fruits on the tree to allow a better development of the remaining ones. That is why there is no specific requirement for organic produce. The contrary would mean organic farmers being allowed to sell smaller produce.

    Cucumbers do not have to be straight. There are grading rules, which were called for by representatives from the industry to enable buyers in one country to know what quality and quantity they would get when purchasing a box, unseen, from another country. Nothing is banned under these rules: they simply help to inform traders of particular specifications. The EU Single Market rules are identical to pre-existing standards set down both by the UN/OECD and the UK.

  • #2
    EU rules ban the DIY electricians

    Europa.eu
    The Press:EU rules ban the DIY electricians
    Householders are to be banned from carrying out many simple electrical jobs at home. EU rules aimed at cutting down on injuries mean a registered electrician will have to carry on work in the bathroom, kitchen or garden - areas exposed to water where accidents are deemed more likely... The new regulations come into force on New Year's Day under an edict from the EU's Committee for the Normalisation of Electrotechnology.
    (Daily Mail, 29 November 2004, page 27)
    The Facts: This "edict" is actually a set of voluntary standards adopted by the European Committee for Electrical Standardization, a non-EU body, made up of organisations from 28 European countries, including the British Standards Institution. It is a matter for national governments if they wish to legislate to enforce such standards.

    Comment


    • #3
      Ambulances must turn yellow for Europe

      Europa.eu
      The Press: Euro yellow, the new colour for our ambulances - White paint becomes a casualty of conformity
      Traditional white British ambulances are to be repainted yellow to bring them into line with Europe. The new colour will be adopted across the continent to make the emergency vehicles uniformly recognisable in every country. ... The ambulance repainting is the latest European attempt to change elements of the traditional British way of life to fall in line with the rest of Europe. In the past, European Commissioners famously infuriated fruiterers and grocers when they deemed that our cucumbers were to (sic) curvy and our bananas too bendy..."
      (Daily Mail, 6 March 2002)
      The Facts: There is no EU legislation that advocates the use of particular colours on emergency vehicles. The independent European Committee for Standardisation, which promotes voluntary technical harmonisation in Europe, issued the report referred to in these articles.
      European standards are developed on the basis of voluntary agreement between individual countries and other interested parties. The committee is made up of national standards bodies, not countries. The representative from the UK is the British Standards Institution.

      Comment


      • #4
        EU Directive to make employers consult workers over choice of tea

        Europa.eu
        The Press: New European rules under the Information and Consultation Directive could force British firms to consult their workers on which brand of tea bags should be used in offices, the Conservatives claim. Business leaders attacked the move.
        (Western Mail and Daily Post, 12 January 2004)
        The Facts: The Directive in question states that employees' representatives should be informed and consulted on the company's activities and economic situation, the situation and future trends in employment and on decisions likely to lead to substantial changes in work organisation or in contractual relations.
        The idea that workers have to be consulted on what brand of tea bags should be used is complete and utter nonsense.

        Comment


        • #5
          Builders forced to wear a T-shirt

          Europa.eu
          The Press: They'll force our brickies to stop stripping in sun
          Barmy EU chiefs want to ban Britain's beefy builders from whipping off their shirts when the sun comes out. They say the lads must be forced to cover up to protect them from skin cancer. It could mean bronzed brickies are required by law to wear a T-shirt while swinging from the scaffolding. Or, buidling site bosses may be made to issue workers with sun block and shades - or even erect canopies over their heads. Other open-air workers like lifeguards would also be affected. But a spokesman for the Guild of Builders and Contractors rubbished the idea. He said: "Builders tend to be very muscular chaps and love to be stripped to the waist. You'll never stop that." The plan is likely to be rubber-stamped by the EU later this month.
          (The Sun, 5 April 2005)
          The Facts: The EU has no plans to ban Britain's brick layers from taking off their shirts (EU Beef Ban 5 April). Ministers and MEPs (including those from the UK) will soon vote on proposals that require employers to assess the risk of eye and skin damage for builders who are in the sun all day. New rules would also protect workers, such as welders, who might be exposed to lasers and infrared radiation. But if there's no risk, there's no reason for builders and brick layers to change their ways.

          Comment


          • #6
            Corgis to be banned by EU

            Europa.eu
            The Press: Corgis to be banned by EU
            "Certain breeds of the Queen's favourite dog could be outlawed under a controversial EU convention being considered by ministers, it emerged last night. Some corgis - along with bulldogs, cocker spaniels and King Charles spaniels - could be among 100 breeds banned, animal lovers fear..."
            (Daily Mail, 30 April 2002)
            The Facts: This "EU convention" in fact has nothing whatsoever to do with the EU. A committee of animal protection experts drew up the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals in 1987 under the auspices of the Council of Europe - an intergovernmental organisation based in Strasbourg and completely separate from the EU. The UK is a member but has so far declined to become a signatory to this voluntary agreement designed to improve the welfare of household pets.

            Comment


            • #7
              Press

              Germans must wear gloves when pushing jews into Gas-chambers.
              Fact.

              Nobody is sure whether this is true or not as most these rules are made behind closed doors.
              "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, misdiagnosing it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies.”

              Comment


              • #8
                jesus... was just about to post here for a bit of light relief...
                Everything is self-evident.

                Comment


                • #9
                  EC says pigs must be given toys


                  Europa.eu
                  The Press: Why all our pigs are having a ball
                  "Farmers throughout the country have 90 days to put a toy in every pigsty or face up to three months in jail. The new ruling from Brussels, which is to become law in Britain next week, is to keep pigs happy and prevent them chewing each other. Official instructions to farmers are to give pigs "environmental enrichment" by providing "manipulable material", which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs last night defined as balls. A spokesman said: 'We mean footballs and basketballs. Farmers may also need to change the balls so the pigs don't get tired with the same one. Different colour ones will do…"
                  (The Times, January 29, 2003)
                  The Facts: The article concerning the welfare of pigs was entirely misleading. There is no EU legislation that requires farmers to place toys in pigsties.
                  Two recently adopted directives, set to be implemented into UK law, require that pigs have access to materials such as straw, hay, wood, and sawdust to improve their welfare, but there is categorically no mention of toys anywhere in the legislation. If the UK government, via its implementing measures, wishes to impose such a rule on farmers this decision remains up to them.

                  The directive on pig welfare, which was adopted in 2001 and comes into force in January 2003, does foresee that pigs should have access to rooting material. This is based on scientific advice, showing that boredom in pigs could lead them to harm themselves and other pigs. The implementing directive states that pigs must have permanent access to a sufficient quantity of material to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities. This material could include straw, hay, wood, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat or a mixture of these. There is no mention of toys.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by cogito View Post
                    jesus... was just about to post here for a bit of light relief...
                    Your screwed if your an Islamic German who serves in the British Army and tries to post here!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      never mention the handouts..........or the personal insults if you don't agree with giving your money to other countries instead of your own pensioners and needy....


                      a country living for years on eu handouts......has nothing better to do than teach it's people about bendy bananas.........
                      Here Rex!!!...Here Rex!!!.....Wuff!!!....... Wuff!!!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        i can't pay my debts......let me off, let me off...

                        rumour or fact...???????
                        Here Rex!!!...Here Rex!!!.....Wuff!!!....... Wuff!!!

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                        • #13
                          For a minute because I was reading these in a hurry, I thought the first paragraph was for real....or just comedy.
                          I believe in.......

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by riposte View Post
                            Press

                            Fact.

                            Much of my family are German and have never pushed a jew or anyone else into a gas chamber!
                            'Never look down on a person unless you're helping them up'.
                            .

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Rashers View Post
                              Much of my family are German and have never pushed a jew or anyone else into a gas chamber!
                              Well said, if i made a similar remark about the Irish there would be posters asking for my banning.

                              P.S many of the camp guards weren't even German.

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