More EU bans as nanny state grows

A piece of EU reform which set out to tackle red tape was hijacked in Strasbourg this week and turned into a blueprint to extend the nanny state.

Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin was deeply critical of Labour MEPs for pushing measures which, instead of simplifying and rationalising the EU’s laws on General Product Safety, would pile on even more burdensome requirements.

She fears the new rules – applying to all goods except food and antiques – will hamper businesses still more and further confuse the public.

They could even see ban on novelty soaps and other goods.

She said that while the report had good intentions and was mainly acceptable, a series of over-zealous and interfering clauses had been introduced. These included:

• All goods would have to be marked with their origin: This would not improve the traceability of unsafe products, but would create massive additional burdens and bureaucracy for small businesses and regulators alike.

• Excessive obligations to distributors: Dealers and shopkeepers would be forced to ensure that manufacturers and importers had all stamped every product correctly. The retailer would also be obliged to keep all paperwork for 10 years.

• Prescriptive EU penalties for infringements: Fine and sanctions would be imposed by Brussels instead of set by national governments.

The new legislation calls for the banning of ‘food-imitating products’ and seeks to define and further regulate ‘child-appealing’ products.  This could lead to bans on harmless soaps or bubble baths in the shape of fruits or cakes, for fear that children will eat then. Colourful three-dimensional fridge magnets could also fall foul of rules outlawing products, which ‘due to their form, odour, colour, appearance, packaging, labelling, volume, size or other characteristics’ are likely to be confused with foodstuffs.

Miss McClarkin said:

“The UK and 15 other governments are opposing this nonsense and Conservatives will fight it at every stage.

“If it is not seen off, businesses will suffer, shoppers will be let down and some perfectly harmless products could be put on the banned list.

“Labour wants certain soaps banned because they think children will eat them. It is nonsense.

“They also want to create a new “EU safety tested” marking, supposedly to combat counterfeit products, as if a fraudulent manufacturer isn’t capable of putting a fake label on his fake product.

“Labour voted in favour of this rubbish, while UKIP didn’t even bother to vote. This legislation has now passed because of them, piling yet more burdens on hard-pressed businesses.”