Did The Eu Try And Standardise Coffin Sizes?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35887003

[douglas9401]

Yes, but it was on a good day to bury bad news.

[Mamyalynne]

Well, he has been challenged to produce the evidence - I think he'll struggle to do so.

[Gromit]

No.

The Council of Europe (not the EU) had regulations about transporting bodies internationally. Mainly that they had to be water tight, and they had to meet some strength standard (the wood couldn't be too thin). There was no specification about size.

[Gromit]

Boris' other beef with the EU was about lorries.

He dictated that all lorries had to have full glass doors to help the dtiver see cyclists. Whilst that is very laudible, the cost of retro-fitting all lorries would be enormous. It was also beyond his authority to impose a construction standard. And he didn't produce any evidence that glass doors could save any lives. In essence, it was a bit of a gimmick.

[mikey4444]

Apparently not.....Boris spent ages scratching his head and blustering....all very entertaining of course, but all to no avail......sounds like a straight bananas story to me....yet more scare-mongering from the increasingly desperate LEAVE campaign.

[ToraToraTora]

.......and the bananas? Hair nets? cucumbers?

[naomi24]

//In Boris Johnson’s 2003 book Lend me your ears, the Mayor of London claimed there was an EU rule on the size of coffins to do with the transfer of corpses.

The chairman of the committee claimed it in fact referred to a convention from the Council of Europe (separate from the EU), but it appears there was some legislation in 1993 which introduced some “essential necessities” to coffins to ensure they were built sufficiently strongly, were watertight, withstand shocks and prevent deterioration.

It is acknowledged that this would have some limited impact on coffin sizes and shapes, but would have little effect of style or form. //


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/7021953/Myth-busting-Boris-Johnsons-EU-claims-Teabags-balloons-and-coffins.html

[mikey4444]

Boris clearly wished to display the EU in a bad light, by not making this apparent when he wrote this book. He is, of course, a proven liar in print, so perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised.

I find it a trifle ironic that this info had to be provided by the Chair of the Committee, who coincidently, like Boris, is a fellow Tory.

Boris caught with his pants down it would seem.

[Gromit]

1993
// The EuropeanCommission has come up with a much more general proposed directive which aims to harmonise legislation concerning the transfer of corpses across the EC. In no way will it have any effect on actual funeral services in Member States.

It is only Article 7 of of this proposed directive that speaks of “essential necessities” with regard to coffins used to transfer corpses throughout the EC. These are very general and would in no way have any bearing on the style, form or width of coffins. It simply requires that coffins be watertight; are built sufficiently strongly to be able to withstand shocks and prevent deterioration whilst being transported; respect the good quality practices for each of the different materials that go into its construction; is guaranteed quality-wise. //

[ToraToraTora]

yeah but what about the bananas?

[jackthehat]

///Here is the correct answer: the commissioners have no problem with straight bananas, it's the crooked ones they don't like so much, but they have never banned them. As Commission Regulation (EC) 2257/94 puts it, bananas must be "free from malformation or abnormal curvature". In the case of "Extra class" bananas, there is no wiggle room, but Class 1 bananas can have "slight defects of shape", and Class 2 bananas can have full-on "defects of shape".

No attempt is made to define "abnormal curvature" in the case of bananas, which must lead to lots of arguments. Contrast the case of cucumbers (Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1677/88), where Class I and "Extra class" cucumbers are allowed a bend of 10mm per 10cm of length. Class II cucumbers can bend twice as much. ///

[ToraToraTora]

cheers jack I am terrified of eating an overly curved banana, the public need this guidance.

[Mamyalynne]

You're on pretty safe ground with your hair net too TTT- suits you by the way.


http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/ECintheUK/commission-to-force-fishermen-to-wear-hairnets/

[retrocop]

Well those rules just prove how bananas the EU are doesn't it. We pay millions to be dictated this trite dictat. There is loads more of this nonsense where idiots in rooms think up this idiocy at our expense. Who really cares what shape a banana is and how it must be classified. Was a time when kids had never seen a banana for 5 years and would of been happy to eat one of whatever shape. Lets get out of this money grabbing scam.

[Mamyalynne]

Interestingly both the Banana and Cucumber issues were mostly industry lead.

[Gromit]

I can think of a few good reasons for leaving the EU, so why do the outers have to tell lies? Why not stick to the real bad things about the EU instead og deliberately making stuff up?

[whiskeryron]

// No attempt is made to define "abnormal curvature" in the case of bananas, which must lead to lots of arguments. Contrast the case of cucumbers (Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1677/88), where Class I and "Extra class" cucumbers are allowed a bend of 10mm per 10cm of length. Class II cucumbers can bend twice as much. /// What Cucumbers are allowed or not allowed is clearly not known or recognised in Cucumber - land how does one actually instruct a Cucumber or Banana for that matter to obey European rules ?

[Mamyalynne]

I'm pretty sure it is more to do with trade from overseas and vice versa - if ordering a box of cucumbers you'd want an idea what number the price covered. An answer of 'Depends how curvy they are anything from 15 - 30' is not a very good one.

Now if you are growing your cucumbers and selling them per item in your own country that doesn't need to apply.

[Mamyalynne]

There is a huge push on at the moment to get our Supermarkets to sell misshapen and 'ugly' veg as they reject them out of hand wanting their displays to be all straight and tidy and think we the consumer won't buy them if not. Hence large amounts of good fruit and veg are thrown away each year, pushing up the price of those perfect ones we do buy.

[Gromit]

Whiskeryron

There is no shortage of bananas or cucumbers. Deformed fruit/veg goes for processing into ready meals where the public will not see its whole appearance. The good looking fruit is for sale to the public. This is largely to prevent waste. The not good looking food often failed to sell and was thrown way.

Some retailers now sell boxes of wonky food.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/05/asda-puts-uks-first-supermarket-wonky-veg-box-on-sale