EU to ban refillable olive oil jugs and dipping bowls

[Chippiewill]

The European Commission is to ban the use of refillable bottles and dipping bowls of olive oil at restaurant tables from next year.

From 1 January 2014, restaurants may only serve olive oil in tamper-proof packaging, labelled to EU standards.

The Commission, the EU's executive branch, says the move will protect consumers and improve hygiene.

But critics have accused the EU of unwarranted meddling at a time of economic crisis.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22579896

I am gob-smacked at what ridiculous trivialities the EU is actually wasting its time on when half the eurozone is under threat of collapse.

[-:Undertaker:-]

More regulations (as expected) that will only hurt small business. The question is, who and which large companies lobbied Brussels to bring about such changes in order to make life harder for their small competitors? Reason #56,759 to leave the corrupt, ridiculous and collapsing European Union.

I'd add that Whitehall and Washington are just as bad for micro-management and state meddling - but at least you can remove them via the ballot box.

[GommeInc]

Such a stupid regulation. Hygiene is in the eye of the beholder. Dipping bowls are perfectly fine to use. If an individual does not want to use them simply do not use them - use that pulsating lump inside your skull for once :P The EU is proving once again it's a dumb institution for dumb Europeans with the aim of further dumbing down the population.

It's probably an attempt to get people buying new things on the continent, rather than reusing pretty olive oil bottles which possibly date back years. Italian restaurants I've been to are not going to be happy, they have lovely old bottles which you cannot get. It's taking away character if anything. Besides, there are already basic national laws in these countries for hygiene, and the odd EU law. This is just a new solution to a non-existent problem.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Nigel Farage MEP

But at least our tough government abstained from the vote...and they want us to trust them over our sovereignty?

I was talking with Jordy (former forum member on here) on Facebook about this earlier, and he pointed out to me and made the point that whats even worse about this ban is that it'll affect the southern European countries (the ones mostly being dragged down by the disasterous Euro) more than anybody else in that the southern European countries both produce olive oil and consume more of it.

[Chippiewill]

I was talking with Jordy (former forum member on here) on Facebook about this earlier, and he pointed out to me and made the point that whats even worse about this ban is that it'll affect the southern European countries (the ones mostly being dragged down by the disasterous Euro) more than anybody else in that the southern European countries both produce olive oil and consume more of it.

Perhaps the reality of the situation is that the European Commission doesn't care about the southern countries and in fact just wants to exert control over them?

[GommeInc]

I was talking with Jordy (former forum member on here) on Facebook about this earlier, and he pointed out to me and made the point that whats even worse about this ban is that it'll affect the southern European countries (the ones mostly being dragged down by the disasterous Euro) more than anybody else in that the southern European countries both produce olive oil and consume more of it.
It does seem like that. It wouldn't surprised me if the glass and plastic used to manufacture the bottles comes from a factory in a Northern European country, adding insult to injury to South European countries.

[Adam]

This regulation has changed my decision on backing out of the EU. Stay in Britain, stay in! We need single use olive oil bottles!

[AgnesIO]

As a Europhile, I won't even try defending this one; let's be honest, it is an utterly bizarre decision to come out with. The only thing I would say is the Directorate-General that came out with this, will be unattached to the "important" DG's - but don't get me wrong, it does seem like an awful waste of time, money and hardly a way to strengthen the EU sceptic nation's belief in the EU (UK).