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IntheEuropeanUnion,carrotsmustbefirmbutnotwoody,cucumbersmustnotbetoocurvedandceleryhastobefreeofanytypeofcavity.Thiswasthelaw,onethatbannedoverlycurved,extra-knobblyoroddlyshapedproducefromsupermarketshelves.
ButinavictoryforopponentsofEuropeanregulation,100pagesoflegislationdeterminingthesize,shapeandtextureoffruitandvegetableshavebeentornup.OnWednesday,EUofficialsagreedtoaxeruleslayingdownstandardsfor26products,frompeastoplums.
Indoingso,theauthoritieshopetheyhavekilledoffregulationsroutinelyusedbycritics-mostnotablyintheBritishmedia-toridiculethemeddlingtendenciesoftheEU.
Afteryearsofnewsstoriesaboutthepermittedangleorcurvatureoffruitandvegetables,thedecisionWednesdayalsocoincidedwiththerisingpriceofcommodities.Withthecostoftheweeklysupermarketvisitontherise,ithasbecomeincreasinglyhardtodefendtheactofthrowingawayfoodjustbecauseitlooksstrange.
BeginninginJulynextyear,whenthechangesgointoforce,standardsonthe26productswilldisappearaltogether.Shopperswillthebeabletochosetheirproducewhateveritsappearance.
Underacompromisereachedwithnationalgovernments,manyofwhichopposedthechanges,standardswillremainfor10typesoffruitandvegetables,includingapples,citrusfruit,peaches,pears,strawberriesandtomatoes.
ButthoseinthiscategorythatdonotmeetEuropeannormswillstillbeallowedontothemarket,providingtheyaremarkedasbeingsubstandardorintendedforcookingorprocessing.
"Thismarksanewdawnforthecurvycucumberandtheknobblycarrot,"saidMariannFischerBoel,Europeancommissionerforagriculture,whoarguedthatregulationswerebetterlefttomarketoperators.
"Inthesedaysofhighfoodpricesandgeneraleconomicdifficulties,"FischerBoeladded,"consumersshouldbeabletochoosefromthewidestrangeofproductspossible.Itmakesnosensetothrowperfectlygoodproductsaway,justbecausetheyarethe’wrong’shape."
Thatsentimentwasnotsharedby16oftheEU’s27nations-includingGreece,France,theCzechRepublic,Spain,ItalyandPoland-whichtriedtoblockthechangesatameetingoftheAgriculturalManagementCommittee.
Severalworriedthattheabolitionofstandardswouldleadtothecreationofnationalones,saidoneofficialspeakingonconditionofanonymitybecauseofthesensitivityofthediscussions.
Copa-Cogeca,whichrepresentsEuropeanagriculturaltradeunionsandcooperatives,alsocriticizedthechanges."WefearthattheabsenceofEUstandardswillleadmemberstatestoestablishnationalstandardsandthatprivatestandardswillproliferate,"saiditssecretarygeneral,PekkaPesonen.
Butthedecisiontoscalebackonstandardswillbewelcomedbyeuro-skepticswhohavelongpilloriedtheEUexecutive’sinterestinintrusiveregulation.
Onesuchcontroversyrevolvedaroundthecorrectdegreeofbendinbananas-atypeoffruitnotcoveredbytheWednesdayruling.
Infact,thereisnopracticalregulationontheissue.CommissionRegulation(EC)2257/94saysthatbananasmustbe"freefrommalformationorabnormalcurvature,"thoughClass1bananascanhave"slightdefectsofshape"andClass2bananascanhavefull"defectsofshape."
Bycontrast,thecurvatureofcucumbershasbeenapreoccupationofEuropeanofficials.CommissionRegulation(EEC)No1677/88statesthatClassIand"Extraclass"cucumbersareallowedabendof10millimetersper10centimetersoflength.ClassIIcucumberscanbendtwiceasmuch.
Italsosayscucumbersmustbefreshinappearance,firm,cleanandpracticallyfreeofanyvisibleforeignmatterorpests,freeofbittertasteandofanyforeignsmell.
Suchrestrictionswilldisappearnextyear,andabout100pagesofrulesandregulationswillgoaswell,amovewelcomedbyNeilParish,chairmanoftheEuropeanParliament’sagriculturecommittee.
"Foodisfood,nomatterwhatitlookslike,"Parishsaid."Tostopstoressellingperfectlydecentfoodduringafoodcrisisismorallyunjustifiable.CreditshouldbegiventotheEUagriculturecommissionerforpushingthroughtheseproposals.Consumerscareaboutthetasteandqualityoffood,nothowitlooks."