Europe is known for its culinary diversity, and this, the Commission says, is something it wants to preserve. The authority is responding to criticism that excessive legislation might kill off a number of traditional foods in the accession countries. Such criticism, the Commission says, has given way to 'column inches' in newspapers which it says have had varying degrees of accuracy.
One of the allegations has been that under EU law cream cakes cannot be sold in the Czech Republic without a wrapper. This, the Commission said in an official statement, is false:"The EU's hygiene rules require steps to be taken to prevent the spread of germs in places where food is sold, but this does not necessarily mean that cream cakes must be sold in wrappers. Cream cakes are sold without wrappers in a number of EU countries.
The Czech government's new hygiene regulations are based on EU standards but they are stricter than similar legislation in many current Member States."
Another allegation concerned the meat sector. Press reports have made out that the private slaughtering of pigs, and equally, home-made meat specialities, would also become illegal. The Commission claims that this allegation is completely inaccurate and that the home-slaughter of all farm animals for personal consumption would remain perfectly legal.
Moving to larger scale production, one of the best known culinary delicacies in Poland is marinated cucumbers. Known as ogórek, rumours have been widely circulated that this dish would also be banned, another allegation that the authority claims is false. "There were fears that the EU would ban the production of ogórek kiszony because the cucumbers used for marinating are very small and do not conform to European standards," the Commission statement said. "The truth is there are no problems with either the marinating process or the size of Polish cucumbers. But ogórek kiszony was a subject of debate because there are no restrictions at all on cucumbers weighing less than 180g and a new way had to be found to categorise them for the European market."
The Poles had further course for concern when reports circulated that the famed Wyborowa vodka and other renowned vodka brands were about to vanish because EU companies had bought the trademarks." The root of the rumour lies in the sale of the Polish company, which makes the [Wyborowa] vodka, to a French company [Pernod Ricard]," the Commission statement went on. "There are no rules preventing the drink being made in Poland as it always has been, but Wyborowa is a commercial trademark, unlike other famous vodkas such as Siwucha or Zubrówka. Both of these are protected product names associated with a particular Polish region."
However, on one point the Commission did concede that rumours were 'almost true' - allegations that 'Cypriot firewater', Zivania, would almost double in price. The authority admitted that, in line with duties on strong alcohols prices, would go up between 60 and 70 per cent, although the product would remain a trademark of Cyprus-based producers.
Undoubtedly further 'column inches' will be devoted to such stories about food and beverage products in the accession states, especially as the final couple of weeks are now being counted down towards accession, but it does seem that in most cases both manufacturers and consumers alike are becoming less fearful of the affects of enlargement.