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How Curved Are My Bananas?
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To many, the prospect of E.U. membership calls up nightmare scenarios of stifling bureaucracy — like mandated curvatures for bananas (not true). This sampling of popular Brussels mythology suggests the reality may not be so bad
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By JENNIE JAMES |
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Posted Sunday, Oct.13, 2002; 16.04 BST
Czech goulash
 Myth: Czech restaurateurs can only keep goulash for three hours after it is cooked before throwing it away.
Reality: The E.U. has no policy that makes life harder for goulash-purveyors. This myth stems from the Czech Health Ministry's directive on catering services, passed in 2001 with the aim of bringing hygiene practices into line with international standards, which are supported by the E.U. The Czech law does say that restaurateurs can keep meals warm and ready to serve for a maximum of three hours, but refrigeration is permitted for up to five days. An identical regulation had been in force in the Czech Republic since 1961; the new directive actually extended the maximum allowable refrigeration period by an extra day.
Polish cheese
Myth: The E.U. will ban as unhygienic Poland's famous highland oscypek cheese, a local delicacy made from unpasteurized sheep's milk.
Reality: The E.U. could actually help sales of the celebrated cheese, which was banned under the communist regime. Under an E.U. provision designed to safeguard production of French cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, oscypek may soon be available in Paris and Madrid.
Noise pollution
Myth: The E.U. plans to ban loud music from pubs and clubs on health grounds.
Reality: The E.U. has long had health directives designed to reduce exposure to high levels of noise in workplaces, such as factories and airports; employees in such places are already required to wear ear protection. (Deafness is the most common occupational hazard in the E.U.) New stiffer standards are in the works that will affect pubs, clubs and even orchestras. Noise levels for Saturday night pub-crawlers are unlikely to drop, though, since the test is based on total weekly exposure to loud noise. The ears of bartenders and D.J.s, on the other hand, may have to be better protected than they are now.
Language
Myth: Citizens of new member states must speak English, French or German when dealing with Brussels.
Reality: Commission President Romano Prodi has promised that a citizen's right to interact with the E.U. in his or her native tongue is a "fundamental prerequisite" to a democratic Europe. The European Parliament will translate all floor speeches and official documents into the 21 different languages of the expanded Union.
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