Thursday, 30th October 2008

A war of words has broken out between Sainsbury's  and the EU Commission over European rules restricting the sale of fruit and vegetables.

Sainbury's is running a campaign to get rid of regulations that "for example, make it illegal to sell forked carrots or onions that are less than two thirds covered with skin."

The supermarket says its "Save our Ugly Fruit and Veg" initiative is in response to "bonkers" EU restrictions have prevented it from launching a Halloween range of misshapen fruit and vegetables that would have been up to 40 per cent cheaper than the standard alternatives in stores.

In response, the Brussels Commission says: "The Commission wants to underline that it is already getting rid of these marketing standards for fruit and vegetables (F&V). A vote will probably take place on November 12 in the Management Committee. This will repeal EU marketing standards for 26 types of F&V. Marketing standards will remain for 10 types of F&V."

No problem, then. Except that for years the European Commission has been telling us that it was actually the supermarkets that begged them to bring these laws in the first place. As the "Euromyths" section of its web site says,  "The European Commission was asked by national agriculture ministers and the industry to draft legislation in this area"...."rules, which were called for by representatives"..."It should not be forgotten that all these norms have been demanded and requested for years by the industry and by the retailers."

But if it was the supermarkets demanding these rules, then why are they now calling for them to be abolished? And if they weren't calling for abolition, why would the Commission be planning to abolish them?

UKIP leader Nigel Farage MEP thinks he knows the answer to the conundrum:

"The Eurocracy have been telling us for years that the supermarkets begged for them to draw up these rules, that they were only doing what was asked of them," he said. "Now we find out that the supermarkets are begging them not to have these rules. What is the next explanation is going to be?

"We know what it won't be, which is an admission that they've been lying about bendy bananas, curvy cucumbers and the rest all these years."

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