Thu, Feb 09 2012

Of bendy cucumbers

Fri, Jul 17 2009 09:58 CET byHuib van den Doel (Leiden and Sofia) 784 Views
Of course, the Eurocrats deserve the satirical comments about their super-detailed rules. In my country, I have some experience with bureaucrats in the ministry of agriculture, mostly from farmers’ families and educated at our University of Agriculture, who regard educating their less-endowed relatives as their calling in life.

However, quite often all this rulemaking does not result from the drive of the Eurocrats (who are a well-educated and energetic lot), but from lobbies in industry, in case of agriculture probably from traders and processors, who want some standardisation so that, for instance, when they buy herring for pickling or canning they do get proper herrings and not an ill-assorted lot of scrawny sprats.

And see the recent proposals for a mandatory yearly inspection of mopeds, scooters etc. From whom? Well, industry, the likes of Peugeot and Gilera. Concerned with road safety? No, rather with bringing workshop business to their dealers and promoting replacement demand.

Huib van den Doel, Leiden and Sofia

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