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| Europe |
| French under fire for shunning EU law |
| 2003-05-06 |
| Those best of Europeans show their respect for the EU by flouting its regulations. Well brought up behaviour? The European Commission accused the French yesterday of a "lamentable" record in enforcing European Union law and pledged tough action to bring member states to book. Despite being zealous advocates of closer European integration, the French are facing 220 open cases involving systematic violations of EU laws and are guilty of the most flagrant foot-dragging of any EU state when implanting new rules. The long list of violations include a refusal to obey the law on biotech patents, for maintaining an illegal ban on food additives, and using obstructionist measures to prevent lawyers from other EU countries working in France. France has also failed to enforce fishing controls aimed at saving endangered stocks. Struggling British trawlermen enjoy no such leniency from their own inspectors, and a growing number face bankruptcy trying to comply with the rules. In many instances, the commission has already won the case in the European Court but has to launch a second set of "Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!" |
| Posted by:Bulldog |