Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2257/94

Last updated
Regulation (EC) No. 2257/94
European Union regulation
Text with EEA relevance
Flag of Europe.svg
Made by European Commission
Made underArt.
Journal reference L245, pp. 6-10
History
Date made1994 16 September
Came into force1995-01-01
Other legislation
Amended by
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1135/96 of 24 June 1996
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No. 386/97 of 28 February 1997
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No. 228/2006 of 9 February 2006
Current legislation

Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2257/94 of 16 September 1994 laying down quality standards for bananas, sometimes referred to in the media as the bendy banana law, is a European Union regulation specifying classification standards for bananas, which took effect on 1 January 1995. [1] It was replaced by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1333/2011 of 19 December 2011 laying down marketing standards for bananas, rules on the verification of compliance with those marketing standards and requirements for notifications in the banana sector with effect as of 9 January 2012. [2]

Contents

Provisions

The regulation applies to unripened green bananas and thus to growers and wholesalers, rather than retailers. [3] The main provisions of the regulation were that bananas sold as unripened, and green bananas, should be green and unripened, firm and intact, fit for human consumption, not "affected by rotting", clean, free of pests and damage from pests, free from deformation or abnormal curvature, free from bruising, free of any foreign smell or taste. [1] The minimum size (with tolerances and exceptions) is a length of 14 cm and a thickness (grade) of 2.7 cm. It specifies minimum standards for specific quality classifications of bananas (Extra, Class I, Class II). [1] Only Extra bananas have to comply fully with the shape specifications. Class II bananas, for instance are permitted to have "defects of shape", and Class I bananas are permitted only "slight defects of shape". [1] [4] This is not true, however, of the size specifications; sale of bananas below the minimum size is almost always prohibited (with exceptions only for bananas from a few regions where bananas are traditionally smaller). [1]

Applicability

Regulation No. 2257/94 took effect on 1 January 1995. It applied directly, in its entirety, in all member states of the European Union. [1] It was repealed by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 1333/2011 of 19 December 2011, laying down marketing standards for bananas, rules on the verification of compliance with those marketing standards and requirements for notifications in the banana sector with effect as of 9 January 2012. [2] However, the sections of the regulations concerning quality standards for bananas, which include Minimum Requirements and Classification, were brought forwards unaltered from the earlier regulation, so in the new regulation there was no change to the shape requirements, as summarised above under Provisions.

Euromyth

This regulation requires that bananas as a minimum standard must not have "abnormal curvature" [5] although no definition or guidance was given about the degree of curvature that would be regarded as "abnormal". That led to various stories about an EU ban on curved bananas. [6] It has been frequently repeated by Europhiles and Eurosceptics alike, the former tending to regard it as an apocryphal or misleading Euromyth [6] and the latter regarding it as an example of needless European bureaucracy. [7]

On 29 July 2008, the European Commission held a preliminary vote concerning the repeal of certain regulations related to the quality of specific fruit and vegetables that included provisions related to size and shape. According to the Commission's press release, "In this era of high prices and growing demand, it makes no sense to throw these products away or destroy them." The Agriculture Commissioner stated, "This is a concrete example of our drive to cut red tape and I will continue to push until it goes through. [...] It shouldn't be the EU's job to regulate these things. It is far better to leave it to market operators". [8]

Regulation 1221/2008 took effect as of 1 July 2009. Though neither the press release cited above nor Regulation 1221/2008 made any mention of bananas or Regulation 2257/94, some reports of the changes treated them as including the banana quality standards regulation and contained explicit or apparent references to the regulation by using expressions such as "the infamous 'straight banana' ruling". [9] [10] Some sources have claimed that to be an admission that the original regulations indeed banned "bent bananas". [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E number</span> Codes for food additives

E numbers, short for Europe numbers, are codes for substances used as food additives, including those found naturally in many foods, such as vitamin C, for use within the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Commonly found on food labels, their safety assessment and approval are the responsibility of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The fact that an additive has an E number implies that its use was at one time permitted in products for sale in the European Single Market; some of these additives are no longer allowed today.

<i>Denominazione di origine controllata</i> Quality assurance label for Italian wine products

The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:

A euromyth is a exaggerated or invented story about the European Union (EU) and the activities of its institutions, such as purportedly nonsensical EU legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European emission standards</span> Vehicle emission standards

The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and European Economic Area member states and the United Kingdom, and ships in EU waters. The standards are defined in a series of European Union directives staging the progressive introduction of increasingly stringent standards.

Type approval or certificate of conformity is granted to a product that meets a minimum set of regulatory, technical and safety requirements. Generally, type approval is required before a product is allowed to be sold in a particular country, so the requirements for a given product will vary around the world. Processes and certifications known as type approval in English are often called homologation, or some cognate expression, in other European languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toy safety</span> Practice of ensuring that toys meet safety standards

Toy safety is the practice of ensuring that toys, especially those made for children, are safe, usually through the application of set safety standards. In many countries, commercial toys must be able to pass safety tests in order to be sold. In the U.S., some toys must meet national standards, while other toys may not have to meet a defined safety standard. In countries where standards exist, they exist in order to prevent accidents, but there have still been some high-profile product recalls after such problems have occurred. The danger is often not due to faulty design; usage and chance both play a role in injury and death incidents as well.

Strange laws, also called weird laws, dumb laws, futile laws, unusual laws, unnecessary laws, legal oddities, or legal curiosities, are laws that are perceived to be useless, humorous or obsolete, or are no longer applicable. A number of books and websites purport to list dumb laws. These are in many cases based on misunderstandings, exaggerations or outright fabrications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quality wines produced in specified regions</span>

Quality wines produced in specified regions is a quality indicator used within European Union wine regulations. The QWpsr category identifies wines with protected geographical indications and protected designations of origin. The European Union regulates and defines the status of "quality wines" according to production method, management, and geographical location. Its original, fundamental role is in differentiating quality wines from table wines, broadly in line with the system traditionally employed by the French government, amended to account for the preferences and methodology of Italian, German, and other growers in the EU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Requirements Directives</span>

The Capital Requirements Directives (CRD) for the financial services industry have introduced a supervisory framework in the European Union which reflects the Basel II and Basel III rules on capital measurement and capital standards.

European Union wine regulations are common legislation related to wine existing within the European Union (EU), the member states of which account for almost two-thirds of the world's wine production. These regulations form a part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of EU, and regulate such things as the maximum vineyard surface allowed to individual EU member states, allowed winemaking practices and principles for wine classification and labelling. The wine regulations exist to regulate total production in order to combat overproduction of wine and to provide an underpinning to Protected designations of origin (PDOs), among other things. In a sense, the wine regulations therefore try to protect both the producer and the consumer.

In the European Union, the Qualified Person Responsible For Pharmacovigilance (QPPV) is an individual, usually an employee of a pharmaceutical company, who is personally responsible for the safety of the human pharmaceutical products marketed by that company in the EU. This function was established in 2004 by article 23 of regulation (EC) No 726/2004. The article establishes that the holder of a marketing authorization for a drug for human use must have a QPPV. When a company submits an application for permission to bring a medicinal product onto the market, the company submits a description of its system for monitoring the safety of the product in actual use and proof that the services of a QPPV are in place.

The Ecodesign Directive of the European Union establishes a framework to set mandatory ecological requirements for energy-using and energy-related products sold in all 27 member states. Its scope currently covers more than 40 product groups, which are responsible for around 40% of all EU greenhouse gas emissions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Directive 1999/74/EC</span>

Directive 1999/74/EC is legislation passed by the European Union on the minimum standards for keeping egg laying hens which effectively bans conventional battery cages. The directive, passed in 1999, banned conventional battery cages in the EU from 1 January 2012 after a 13-year phase-out. Battery cages were already banned in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden prior to 2012. The directive does not apply to establishments with fewer than 350 laying hens or establishments rearing breeding laying hens. Such establishments are, however, subject to the requirements of Directive 98/58/EC. The directive is not supported with fines, penalties or export bans.

The Recreational Craft Directive, Directive 2013/53/EU, originally Directive 94/25/EC on recreational craft amended by Directive 2003/44/EC, is a European Union directive which sets out minimum technical, safety and environmental standards for boats, personal watercraft, marine engines and components in Europe. It covers boats between 2.5 and 24m, personal watercraft, engines and a number of components built since 1998. It ensures their suitability for sale and use in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egg marking</span>

Egg marking is a form of egg labelling that includes an egg code stamped on the egg itself. In the EU there is a producer code regulated by law since 2004. It allows consumers to distinguish free range eggs and organic farming eggs from the industrial caged hen production.

The Temporary Agency Work Directive2008/104/EC is an EU Directive agreed in November 2008 which seeks to guarantee those working through employment agencies equal pay and conditions with employees in the same business who do the same work. It is the third piece of legislation in the European Union's employment law package to protect atypical working. Though it was proposed in 2002, the British, German, Danish and Irish governments blocked its enactment until 2008.

Since the late 1970s, the European Union's (EU) policy has been to develop and drive appropriate measures to improve air quality throughout the EU. The control of emissions from mobile sources, improving fuel quality and promoting and integrating environmental protection requirements into the transport and energy sector are part of these aims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regulation of pesticides in the European Union</span>

A pesticide, also called Plant Protection Product (PPP), which is a term used in regulatory documents, consists of several different components. The active ingredient in a pesticide is called “active substance” and these active substances either consist of chemicals or micro-organisms. The aims of these active substances are to specifically take action against organisms that are harmful to plants. In other words, active substances are the active components against pests and plant diseases.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2257/94 of 16 September 1994 laying down quality standards for bananas (as amended)" (pdf). Retrieved 5 October 2009.
  2. 1 2 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1333/2011 of 19 December 2011 laying down marketing standards for bananas, rules on the verification of compliance with those marketing standards and requirements for notifications in the banana sector (codification), 2011-12-19, retrieved 2024-06-25
  3. ↑ "What if Rupert Murdoch hadn't bought The Sun?". The Independent. London. 12 August 2003. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  4. ↑ "Guide to the best euromyths". BBC News. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2009. ...the commissioners have no problem with straight bananas, it's the crooked ones they don't like so much, but they have never banned them. As Commission Regulation (EC) 2257/94 puts it, bananas must be "free from malformation or abnormal curvature". In the case of "Extra class" bananas, there is no wiggle room, but Class 1 bananas can have "slight defects of shape", and Class 2 bananas can have full-on "defects of shape".
  5. ↑ http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1994R2257:20060217:EN:PDF [ bare URL PDF ]
  6. 1 2 Stanyer, James (2007). Modern Political Communication: Mediated Politics in Uncertain Times. Polity. ISBN   978-0-7456-2797-7.
  7. ↑ Uhlig, Robert (26 Jun 2002). "Yes, we can have curved bananas, judges decide". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  8. ↑ European Commission. "Outcome of Commission meeting of 23 July 2008". Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  9. ↑ Swaine, Jon (24 July 2008). "Bent banana and curved cucumber rules dropped: EU rules banning bent bananas and curved cucumbers are set to be scrapped". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 9 October 2009. A majority of EU member states, including Britain and Ireland, have voted to reform rules like EC Commission Regulation No 2257/94
  10. ↑ Alyn Smith MEP (29 June 2009). "Bye To Bendy Banana Ban". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2009. The new regulations will allow the sale of curvy cucumbers, curious carrots and bendy bananas where previously irregular shaped fruit and veg was usually only used in processed food.
  11. ↑ Daniel Hannan MEP (12 November 2008). "Bent bananas not a Euromyth after all". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  12. ↑ Darnton, John (6 October 1994). "The Bent-Banana Ban and Other British Gibes at Europe". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 October 2009. The banana story began with a page-one article last week in The Sun, which reported that 'Brussels bureaucrats proved yesterday what a barmy bunch they are -- by outlawing curved bananas.'
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.