Euro bureaucrats plan to axe ‘made in Britain’ label (Evening Standard, 12 January 2004, page 2)
British manufacturers could soon be banned from using the “Made in Britain” label on their goods. The European Commission wants to introduce a “Made in EU” mark that could eventually replace all indicators of national origin.

EU ‘to KO Made in UK label’ (The Sun, 13 January 2004, pages 2)
Brussels penpushers are plotting to ban ‘Made in Britain’ labels. They are secretly bidding to replace them with ‘Made in the EU’ stamps. Rolls-Royce cars, Scotch whisky, Kendal mintcake and Savile Row suits would all carry the labels under the plan.
The European Commission recently produced a document entitled “Made in the EU Origin Marking – Working Document of the Commission Services”. As the name suggests, this is not a proposal, but merely a consultative document looking at the pros and cons of products being marked with “Made …

EU move threatens Poppy Appeal with a £500,000 tax bill
Tax plans by the European Commission could leave the Royal British legion facing a big VAT bill for Remembrance Day poppies, it emerged today
(Evening Standard, 10 November 2003, page 6)

EU to tax our poppies
Old soldiers were outraged last night over EU plans to tax Remembrance Day poppies.  The Royal British Legion’s annual appeal stands to lose more than £1/2million if the move goes ahead.  Brussels wants to slap VAT on the supply of all goods and services, even those from charities. 
(The Sun, 11 November 2003, page 22)
Even Remembrance Day poppies are fair game for a euromyth. No VAT threat exists to the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.  The European Commission has introduced new proposals to simplify the use of VAT across the EU.   Under these plans, however, a zero rate may still be applied to “the supply of goods and services …

EU move threatens Poppy Appeal with a £500,000 tax bill (Evening Standard, 10 November 2003, page 6)
Tax plans by the European Commission could leave the Royal British legion facing a big VAT bill for Remembrance Day poppies, it emerged today.

EU to tax our poppies (The Sun, 11 November 2003, page 22)
Old soldiers were outraged last night over EU plans to tax Remembrance Day poppies. The Royal British Legion’s annual appeal stands to lose more than £1/2million if the move goes ahead. Brussels wants to slap VAT on the supply of all goods and services, even those from charities.
No VAT threat exists to the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. The European Commission has introduced new proposals to simplify the use of VAT across the EU. Under these plans, however, a zero rate may still be applied to “the supply of goods and services by organisations recognised as charities by member states.” …

EU threatens to ban vitamin supplements (The Independent on Sunday, 10 March 2002, page 13)
Some of the most popular vitamin and mineral pills are likely to be banned after a vote in the European Parliament this week. The vote, on Tuesday, is expected to put the finishing touches to a new EU law designed to crack down on the sale of the pills. Critics say that the law … will plunge countless people into distress, and put hundreds of health food shops out of business.
300 vitamin treatments face ban in Euro purge (The Daily Telegraph, 11 March 2002, page 7)
Ninety per cent of multivitamin and mineral preparations and many other supplements are likely to be removed from the shelves of British health shops and chemists if a European directive becomes law…
Euro law ‘doom’ for health shops (Evening Standard, 11 March 2002, page 5)
Hundreds of popular vitamin and mineral supplements will …

Brussels calls time on the Teasmade cuppa (Evening Standard, 22 February 2002, page 5)
The Teasmade is dead. And today the finger of suspicion for killing off one of Britain’s best loved institutions was being firmly pointed at the European Union. According to its makers, bureaucrats in Brussels have decreed that having a pint of boiling water perched on your bedside table seconds before you are wrenched out of sleep by an alarm call could be hazardous.

Wake-up call for lovers of Teasmades (The Daily Telegraph, 22 February 2002, page 37)
“Brussels bureaucrats have decreed that [tea-making machines] are too risky to have by the bedside!”
No such ban exists at either the EU or UK level. Neither the Low Voltage Directive nor the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive ban tea-makers and the European Commission has not made any proposals to this effect.

ROW OVER LATIN LABELS
‘Quid hoc significat?’ – If you understand the Latin for ‘What does that mean?’ then you’ll have no trouble with a new EC rule on labelling.  For the rest of us, the Eurocrats’ directive insisting that all cosmetics and other personal care products must be labelled in the long-dead language will pose something of a problem.
(Daily Mail, page 34, 19 May 1999)

HEALTH WARNING: SOME PRODUCTS CONTAIN LATIN
(The Daily Telegraph, page 1, 19 May 1999)

LABELS IN LATIN ARE ALL GREEK TO ALLERGY SUFFERERS
(Evening Standard, page 19, 18 May 1999)

NUTTY NEW COSMETIC LABELLING LAWS
(Which Magazine, May 1999)
Consumer health groups have railed against an EU cosmetics labelling Directive, claiming it could pose a threat to allergy sufferers.  Sections of the press took the opportunity to misrepresent yet another EU policy. Far from being an anti-consumer measure, the whole point of developing internationally recognised terminology is to help consumers recognise ingredients, …

More than £700,000 of Euro cash is to be spent finding out why yoghurt goes runny. British university researchers who have been handed the £720,000 European Union grant will spend three years trying to develop a creamy consistency without using additives.
(The Express, 22 January 1999, p29; The Evening Standard, 21 January 1999, p4; The Telegraph, 22 January 1999, p9)
A team lead by scientists at Huddersfield University, will work with colleagues in Belgium, France, Norway and Sweden to develop bio-friendly organisms, such as lactic acid bacteria, to naturally thicken custards, frozen desserts along with other fermented dairy products including yoghurts. St Ivel, the dairy product manufacturer in Britain and Rhone Poulenc/Rhodia in France will also be involved in the research. Artificial substances and gelatins made from cattle bones are frequently used to thicken these products at present. Researchers will meet regularly and will report back to the European Commission who will …

Shellfish (especially mussels and oysters) must be given rest breaks and stress-relieving showers during journeys of over 50 km.

The Times, 29 January 1996, p7
Daily Telegraph, 29 January 1996, p1
Daily Mail, 29 January 1996, pp3 and 8
Evening Standard, 29 January 1996, pp9 and 13
The Sun, 30 January 1996, p17
Daily Telegraph, 30 January 1996, p19
Daily Express, 30 January 1996, p9
Shellfish are not and were never included in requirements for watering, journey times and resting periods.

It is true that widespread public concern as to the transport of animals is reflected in EU rules. A Directive on the protection of animals during transport does cover, amongst certain other species, shellfish in transit but only by requiring, in general terms, treatment appropriate to the species concerned. These rules ensure that shellfish arrive at their destination in good condition and fit for human consumption.

Provisions relating to such things as journey times, watering and rest periods refer …