17 of the weirdest myths about EU laws

For years, we’ve seen a constant stream of stories about the Draconian excesses of the EU, with talks of bans on bent cucumbers or cows being forced to wear nappies. To put the record straight, if not the cucumbers, the European Commission curates a blog debunking these rumours. Here are 17 of the very strangest lies about EU rules, mostly from the UK press.

1.
Myth: Electronic sex toys must be returned for recycling

Fact: The EU requires retailers to allow final owners of electrical items to return them at no cost.
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2.
Myth: Farmers must put a toy in every pigsty

Fact: Farmers required to provide pigs with a ‘manipulable material’, such as straw, because they have access to stuff like that in the wild and it keeps them happy. So, if they play with the straw, it’s kind of true that it’s a toy.
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3.
Myth: EU planned to ban prawn cocktail crisps

Fact: There was never any such plan. There were investigations into additives, but no crisp flavour was ever threatened.
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4.
Myth: Paddling pools deeper than 12 inches must have a full-time lifeguard

Fact: There was never any plan to do this and still isn’t.
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5.
Myth: British toilets to be banned and replaced with French or Spanish models

Fact: There are minimum safety, hygiene and environmental standards across the EU – no styles or countries of origin have been banned.
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6.
Myth: Zipped trousers to be banned

Fact: A ‘joke’ about health & safety in a Daily Mail column gained more traction than it deserved.
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7.
Myth: Workers to be consulted over the colour of office carpets

Fact: Businesses with more than 50 employees are supposed to consult workers on major changes, particularly those affecting their jobs – not carpet colour.
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8.
Myth: Organic farmers forced to use homeopathy

Truth: Natural remedies preferred where effective. but animal welfare is the priority and any vet-recommended treatment is allowed.
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