Letter sent to the Editor of The Daily Express on 18th January 2012

The idea that giving teachers pencil cases and brochures, at their own request, is  “brainwashing” by the EU (Express, 18 January) is nonsense. The notion that a video published on our website for two years is part of some secret conspiracy is absurd. Sadly, there is a great deal of misinformation about the EU in the UK, though we tend to avoid hyperbolic terms like “brainwashing”. But it does not come from the European Commission. Our Euromyths website, where the Express features frequently, provides hundreds of examples.

Mark English
Head of Media, European Commission Representation in the UK

Dear Sirs,

We are as surprised as your readers to hear that your newspaper believes the EU wishes to merge Britain and France. The suggestion that the “EU wants to merge UK with France”, 2nd May, is absurd, and of course, untrue.

There is no proposal to create a new cross-channel region. What exist (and have done for 10 years) are a number of cross-border programmes aimed at things like boosting jobs and looking after the environment.

Yours faithfully

Johannes Hahn,
Commissioner for Regional Policy

A similar clarification was also sent to the Daily Star for their article “EU makes us French” which was also published on 2 May 2011.

Letter sent to the Daily Express, 10 November 2010

re your article “Cameron must say no to votes for prisoners”

Dear Sir

The EU is always interested in what one of its leading members has to say, but if David Cameron takes Ann Widdecombe’s advice, it won’t get him very far. It is the Council of Europe, a completely separate organisation, that is responsible for the ruling on prisoners’ votes.

Yours faithfully

Antonia Mochan
Head of Media
European Commission Representation, London

Despite numerous news reports in the past 48 hours, there are no EU plans to ban the sale of eggs sold by the dozen, or even by the half-dozen for that matter!

The media frenzy was generated following a vote by MEPs concerning amendments to EU food labelling rules, which are also being examined by member states’ ministers too. The real question being addressed is whether there should be an obligation to include weight measurements on the packs as well. Not instead of.

Read more at the EP in the UK website: http://www.europarl.org.uk/section/2010-archive/eggs-can-be-dozen

Myth: Curved bananas have been banned by Brussels bureaucrats, with shops ordered not to sell fruit which is too small or abnormally bent.
Sources: The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Daily Express (21 September 1994)

Truth: Yes … and no. Curved bananas have not been banned. In fact, as with the supposed banning of curved cucumbers, the Commission regulation classifies bananas according to quality and size for the sake of easing the trade of bananas internationally.

Quality standards are necessary in order that people buying and ordering bananas can rest assured that what they are getting lives up to their expectations. INdividual EU member states have tended to have their own standards, as has the industry (whose standards are often very stringent). The European Commission was asked by the Council of Ministers and the industry to prepare a draft regulation laying down EU quality standards, and this has been the subject of consultation …