East Midlands Euro-MP clears milk pinta confusion

Published on Thu 2nd Feb 2006

The EU's proposed law about packaging sizes for pre-packaged foods - including the British "Pinta" - received its First Reading today by the European Parliament in Brussels today.

A majority of MEPs, led by the Conservatives and Socialists, voted to restrict the weights and sizes of packages in which wine, spirits, coffee, sugar, butter, rice, pasta, and drinking milk, may be supplied to the public.

Only the Liberal group of MEPs voted for liberalisation, for de-regulation, for less bureaucracy and less red tape, and for freedom for suppliers to supply these foods in whatever sizes they find that shoppers find most convenient.

Bill Newton Dunn, Liberal Democrat MEP for the East Midlands, said:

"The Pinta is safe. Nobody was ever going to ban it. If a British dairy wishes to supply milk in pints, it will not be prevented. I deplore the Conservative and Labour MEPs who voted to restrict the sizes and variety of packages in which all these foods can be offered. Why are they so reactionary ? Why not also restrict cakes and biscuits and jams and everything else too ? And I reject the elitist and arrogant arguments if manufacturers who say that shoppers would be confused by having a wider variety of packages. Why not liberalise, and create more choice for the public ?"

Note :

The proposed EU law is needed in order to clarify many differences in local and national laws about what package sizes are permitted for various foods and which impede free trade across the open borders of the 25 different states of the EU.

The draft law next goes to the EU's other legislative chamber, the Council of Ministers, for their First Reading. Afterwards, there will be another Reading for each chamber, before the final terms of the EU law are settled and sent to national parliaments for putting into national law-books.