Unfit for Human Consumption
A small story about how regulations are more about power than anything else.
The European Commission has launched legal proceedings against the UK for allegedly failing to deal with hygiene problems at a Lancashire dairy.
Fair enough, I hear you say, if we are stupid enough to give up our sovereignty, we have to accept the consequences. Also if what they are selling is unfit for human consumption, then something should be done. But there is more to this than meets the eye. The story ends with the following sentence:
It (the company in question) has been forced to call in receivers, and will close on Friday.
So the EU wants to pursue legal action against the UK government for failing to apply EU law to a company that will close down tommorrow. Is this really a good use of resources? Can this really be about protecting consumers, or is it a turf war?
3 comments:
The EU rarely has the interests of consumers at heart. A few concrete examples. Some chemical pesticides that have known risks to human health have been given approval for continued use across the EU.
The European Commission's decision to lift the six-year moratorium on authorising new GM foods for human consumption in 2004 is another failure to protect consumers. Even though consumers have clearly stated their opposition to authorising new GM foods.
The EU has already embraced the BIG Pharma agenda. Remember the European Court of Justice decision in 2005 which cleared the way for new laws that sought to outlaw thousands of vitamins and mineral supplements.
Protecting the consumer is not an issue which drives the EU. The only imperative for the EU is to aggrandise as much power as it can as rapidly and secretly as it can.
The EU is corporatist. It's easier for the EU to deal with large corporations and large corporations give excellent kickbacks for EU members who propose legislation that discourages their smaller competitors.
Win-Win for the EU and corporates.
Lose-Lose for European people who are consumers, employees, entrepreneurs, investors.
The EU is run to make you poorer.
Very creative post.
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