Anyone who regularly reads this page (a handful) may remember two examples I gave recently of changes to everyday French life.
One was a government ruling that all eggs sold at local small markets should be stamped with a 'traceability' marking, and the other was that the different petrols and diesels sold at the pumps would have their descriptions changed to something that no-one understood.
Well, I am pleased to say that both are now being totally ignored!
Common sense does occasionally prevail.
Ditto here in Greece. Bravo for the rebels.
ReplyDeleteAs usual we have just quietly and consistently ignored these incomprehensible instructions from Brussels.
I presume they are both from Brussels.
I imagine so. My egg man (now no longer there, after illness) produced just a few dozen eggs from his hens, and was made to buy a special stamping machine, and be registered, etc. He was furious. Maybe he'll return to market next year now that no-one bothers.
DeleteTwo things are infinite: The universe and the stupidity of man. And I'm not sure about the universe. Einstein.
ReplyDeleteEinstein had it right. Although he never did quite understand the i before e except after c rule.
DeleteNobody does in the Schweiz and the Reich.
DeleteJust wish this country would thumb their nose at all the stupid edicts from the EU.
ReplyDeleteLX
I'm sure there have been others, but these two really annoyed me. I'm glad they're being ignored.
DeleteWhen travelling through the Republic of Macedonia (formerly part of Yugoslavia) four years ago the country looked very poor. It currently has an application in to join the EU. Funding was already being given to the country as various recreational sites had signs up saying funding had been received from the EU for the restoration of this site etc for which we are very grateful etc(many Roman ruins in the country). It put me off the EU for if any country made it clear that there is no level playing field for payments received and payments given this was one. My guide said to me that he felt that membership of the EU was vital for the country's future and this was the government's ultimate aim. It felt like a grab grab reasoning, you can give it, we will take it. I couldn't see anything that the country produced apart from poor farming and dirt and a few factories left over from the communist era. No doubt when their application for membership finally goes through all Directives will be ignored. It didn't look much like the country had any infrastructure to build so much as a cart track let alone enforce EU directives on eggs.
ReplyDeleteI think there's little hope of the EU attracting any more 'net contributors'. There are now only two criteria for membership; poverty and a big outstretched hand!
DeleteThese countries will be sources of cheap labour and cheap products. EU will ignore deforestation in the national parks in Balkans.
DeleteThey will get some autobahns and ports. The last undeveloped shoreline on the northern side the Mediterranean will be lost forever. In the EU the tide raises all ships is the general idea. Cynically, one of the outstretched hands last year was Luxembourg - Europe's richest land.
When I last wrote about Luxembourg, the UK's net 'benefit' per capita from the EU was -£937, compared to Luxembourg's +£16,170. Considering that Luxembourg was, at that time, the second richest country in the world (IMF), something didn't seem quite right. I wonder if Mr Juncker (a Luxembourgeois) had anything to do with it?
DeleteI think you've answered your own question.
DeleteA sensible response to the egg stamping. I am not sure about the fuel. It seems very confusing. Where is the normal petrol? You only have E fuel, which is bio fuel and not good for your engine.
ReplyDeleteThe new petrol classifications were very confusing. I normally have a leadless 95 octane fuel, which was known as SP95. I couldn't find any comparison in the new names. I'm very pleased that they've stuck with what we know!
DeleteI wonder if the egg man will come back next year. I noticed he was missing on our last two visits to market.
ReplyDeleteThe wine man told me that the egg man had had a nasty operation, and that he was taking a long time to recover. He may re-appear next year; I do hope so.
DeleteI think similar things happen here too Cro - there are times when the public just can\t be moulded.
ReplyDeleteFrom here, Paris is regarded as a foreign country, and Brussels somewhere in outer space.
DeleteSo happy this is working out. Lucky you.
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip and badger
Never discount the populus.
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