Straight Banana....

[Loosehead]

I have a straight banana, question is, is mine the only legal one in the EU? Or perhaps there are several, do you own another?

[zara 4]

Oooooohhh errrrrrrrrr!

[WaldoMcFroog]

Are you referring to the popular notion that curved bananas are banned in Europe?

Amazingly, this accusation which follows the Standard Tabloid Template for Anti-Europe Kneejerk Stories* (tm) to the letter is completely untrue.

http://www.cec.org.uk/press/myths/myth05.htm

The reality is that the Commission Regulation 2257, Quality Standards for Bananas specifies ''Bananas must be free from abnormal curvature of the fingers'.

* Not to be confused with Standard Tabloid Template for PC-Gone-Mad Kneejerk Stories

[Zen]

These regulations are brought to you by the same people who banned the importation of Bombay Duck into the EU. There was an outbreak of some avian disease in India, so imports of fowl were banned on health grounds. That applied to Bombay Duck. The problem was and is that " Bombay Duck " is actually a dried fish. But they still banned it anyway.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Again, complete rubbish.

There was a temporary EU-wide ban on the import of a number of fisheries products from India in 1997 after the discovery of cholera in some fisheries products. This ban was subsequently lifted.

[Zen]

Regards regulation, it is estimated that over 80% of our administrative law � the nuts and bolts legislation which governs the detailed conduct of our productive sector � now comes from the EU. That amounts to over 30,000 Regulations and Directives but, if you include the Decisions and Guidelines and all the other outpourings of the EU which have a legislative effect, the true total may be closer to 80,000. The fact is, that no-one really knows how much legislation has poured across the channel.

Nor indeed does anyone really know how much this legislation has cost British business. The Institute of Directors has estimated the cost at �15-25 billion a year, but that is only a guess. Certain costs, of course, can be more accurately estimated. For instance, the value of the fish handed to other nations under the Common Fisheries Policy approaches �5 billion a year. Taking these two figures, a case can be made that EU regulation costs us a minimum of �30 billion a year.

[WaldoMcFroog]

On the other hand, if you then factor in how many businesses are now able to compete competitively in Europe as a direct result of EU regulation, what's the overall balance then?

Whatever one's view on the EU, it's not as black and white as you're trying to portray it.

[Whickerman]

Look, the sooner we just call the EU a federal state the better. It's been a boon for economies all through the union - including theUK. Yes, countries like the UK and Ireland are net contributors to the EU fund, but private industry gains massively as a result. The money which pays for the EU is gained back many times over, not by the countries, but by private industry.

Now, where can I buy a cubic watermelon?

[Lonnie]

Frame it, and take it to the British Arts Council, and when you become rich, it was me who said it,

[Loosehead]

too late, I've eaten it!

[rogerthomas]

There certainly IS an EU regulation on bananas. The regulation's number is posted below. I have included one clause and highlighted in red the section on curvature.

Community legislation in force
Document 394R2257
Directory chapters where this document can be found:
[ 03.60.54 - Fresh fruit and vegetables ]
394R2257
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2257/94 of 16 September 1994 laying down quality standards for bananas (Text with EEA relevance)
Official Journal L 245 , 20/09/1994 p. 0006 - 0010
Finnish special edition....: Chapter 3 Volume 61 p. 52
Swedish special edition...: Chapter 3 Volume 61 p. 52

Amendments:
Amended by 396R1135 (OJ L 150 25.06.1996 p.38)
Amended by 397R0386 (OJ L 060 01.03.1997 p.53)
Text:
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2257/94 of 16 September 1994 laying down Quality standards for bananas (Text with EEA relevance)

II. QUALITY
This standard defines the quality requirements to be met by unripened green bananas after preparation and packaging.
A. Minimum requirements
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the bananas must be:
- free from malformation or abnormal curvature of the fingers,

[WaldoMcFroog]

Well done for repeating what I'd already posted their Rog.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Or 'there' even.