Europe diary: Czech cheese

14 September 2006

BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell on Czech attitudes to rules made in Brussels, the tendency for national governments to add extra red tape of their own, and the ancient practice of rhinokopia.

The diary is published every Thursday.

HUMAN TESTING

Petyr Hayek: Not obsessed with health and safety

I expected a grizzled old geezer in mud-spattered cords when I went to South Bohemia for a story about Czech attitudes to the European Union and the ruling ODS party's proposed link-up with the British Conservatives.

But Petyr Hayek was in shorts and open shirt, his very long hair pulled back in a pony tail. Outside his farm is a cheeky sign which states his goat's cheese doesn't meet European Union standards and is only to be used as animal feed. It adds: "Tested on humans".

He makes the cheese by hand in his kitchen, which is bang opposite the stables. There are rather a lot of flies buzzing around the bowl where the curds and whey separate. Petyr licks his finger ostentatiously after rolling the balls of cheese in paprika and powdered wild mushroom. It's fair to say that he is not obsessed by health and safety.

Petyr's cheese: Surprisingly firm and un-goaty

To legally sell the cheese for human consumption he'd have to spend much more than he can afford, bringing his working area up to scratch.

As long as I don't buy it, I am allowed to taste it. It's surprisingly firm, close-textured and un-goaty. While I might prefer a runnier and goatier product, it is now several days later and I seem to be free of internal aches and pains.

HOLY DOGMA

Two years after the Czech Republic joined the EU, there seems to be a growing wariness about its rules and regulations, which is why the Tories sought out the ODS as partners in the European Parliament in a new anti-federalist grouping.

Petyr's farm: Delightfully ramshackle

This is very much the typical "straight banana" sort of story: the EU imposing rules that people don't want. But as I wander round the delightfully ramshackle farm, something nags at me. I just can't imagine anyone in Spain or France making such a fuss about such regulations, because I can't imagine them taking a blind bit of notice of them in the first place.

Perhaps French farmers or officials will tell me this is unfair, but I have the distinct impression such rules are taken as an aspiration not a hurdle in many countries. Petyr tells me that if there's a rule in Brussels, the officials in Prague tighten it up a bit, and by the time it's reached the regions it's treated like holy dogma.

GOULASH NO-NO

In the jargon, this is "gold plating" the EU legislation, and it seems to happen in the UK quite a bit.

In the Czech Republic, there were outcries recently when it was announced the traditional long-simmered and reheated goulash was a no-no, and that all bars would have to have taps switched on by automatic sensors.

Apparently, neither rule was really specified by European Union law but was a Czech interpretation of a sub-clause somewhere.

DEPOSED AND DENOSED

It seems to be becoming a rule that PMs are deposed by coup

Does rhinokopia have a place in British politics? Over the summer, along with a pile of sci-fi, I've been reading a short history of the Byzantine empire - my more respectable read.

What struck me was how very many of the emperors were deposed by popular or palace coups. While there wasn't democracy in any normal sense, emperors could easily lose power if they couldn't keep the support of enough factions. What sort of a fist they'd been making of ruling didn't seem to have much to do with it.

It seems to becoming a rule, not an exception, in British politics that PMs are deposed by coup. And rhinokopia? It was the practice of cutting off the deposed emperor's nose: by tradition a mutilated man could not reign. I know Gordon, and he's a kinder man than that.

Please use the postform below to comment on any of the issues raised in the diary.

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While careful hygiene is important in making quality cheese, as a previous poster noted, I fear the industrial additives, preservatives and processes more than the centuries-old process of making cheese. Would I prefer to eat something that wasn't sampled by the cheesemaker? Absolutely. Should it be legislated? Not so much! I hope that the EU doesn't succeed in establishing a lowest common denominator food culture much like what we here in the States have had for decades. Thankfully things are beginning to change with renewed awareness in artisan and handcrafted food. Hopefully those artisans are keeping their dirty fingers out of the curd!
Christine Hyatt, Beaverton, OR, USA

The problem is elsewhere.... it's all about our famous corruption. Czech politicians are greedy as ever and any chance of getting extra cash is always more than welcome. Therefore, any EU law or legislation is tightened up for a reason: eg companies need to have cash registers or brand new lifts in tower blocks or this and that, why don't we make it compulsory, preferably with a tight deadline? Even better, why don't we say to use only one of specific parameters, and guess what? I have a friend, who has a company, who makes them... unfortunately, most people accept laws and regulations as a must and never question their credibility. I think the EU laws and leg. should be a lot more specific and detailed, without gaps for different explanations. Czech people have always been very creative and innovative and they will continue doing so. Let's just not give them too many opportunities in the wrong areas!
Pavlina Kaprova, London, UK (born in the Czech Rep.)

It's only been two years since the 10 new states joined. Poland certainly wasn't ready regarding harmonised legislation and I doubt that Czech was either.
Paul, Wroclaw, Poland

The EU needs to refocus on the free movement of people, services, capital and goods (for old and new member states alike). The EU is full of noble principles but only in theory. But God forbid if workers actually want to move in pursuit of employment opportunities, students want to study in a different member state or small business people want to sell their services on the other side of the Iron Curtain! All of the foregoing are portrayed as disasters calling for immediate emergency measures. What's wrong with you, Europeans?
Robert, Prague, Czech Republic

EU regulations are all about best practice; just compare Brussels-inspired regulations governing European abbatoirs compared to American slaughterhouses. The EU is ideally placed to regulate food production as its only interest is Europe, not a particular corner of it. Problems arise when national governments get too zealous about enforcing directives, as has happened in the Czech Republic. And of course, when these ridiculous situations are exposed, "Europe" gets the blame. By the way, I'm glad Mr Hayek's finger-licking good Czech cheese isn't on sale here in its present form, are gloves really too much to ask??
Joe Langan, Ashbourne, Ireland

As a non-French living in a rural area of France, the EU question in general is good for the big farms... but the small farms and the small slaughterhouses really suffer: they get very little subsidies and still have to set up pharmaceutical-grade laboratories just to kill a couple of chickens. The whole point of the EU regulation, supported by the major farmer unions here and the government, is to kill off all the small guys, and drive further concentration of this sector. The small Czech farmers are damn right to fight the EU off, for them it can only lead to disaster.
Vincent Verschoore, Cluny, France

Eh, can't you see why the Czechs outshine others in gold-plating? If not, read Good Soldier Schweik by Jaroslav Hasek. Schweik, stupid and clever at the same time, used to do 'exactly' what he has been ordered to do to demonstrate the stupidity of the order. And now the Czechs in the biggest practical joke of the 21st Century are doing the same but, unfortunately, nobody is laughing ... yet!
Michal, Brussels, Belgium

Paul Lihotzki, Czech Republic (and all other EU countries) would have higher economic growth without the EU. There is no proven correlation between the EU and any prosperity.
Marcel, The Hague

Mr Mardell, did you like the check-in when leaving GB (who didn't sign the Schengen Treaty)? Did you like waiting at the check-in at the Czech border? Yes, that's right, Mr Mardell, THE EU IS A FAILURE. The number one goal, freedom of movement of people around Europe, has NOT been achieved as of 2006!
Zbigniew Mazurak, Katowice, Poland

The situation in the Czech Republic is that the top people of the political life criticise the EU and its structure saying the national habits would suffer under EU laws. The president Vaclav Klaus is the leader of these opponents. So now every weak point is a result of EU. But it is totally ingored (and I would say on purpose ingored) that the strong economic grouth of 6,5%, the new infrastructure and so on have never been possible without investments and monetary funds from EU.
Paul Lihotzki, Pforzheim, Germany

hmmmm, as someone who travels alot around Europe the most common phrase I hear is 'it's because of Europe' which for someone comming from the north of Scotland is a reassuring reminder of home!
Heather Roy, Brussels, Belgium

This farm bloke can sell his stuff locally, but he cannot put it into the internal market. There is a reason for this: consumers have the right to expect minimum hygienic standards. If he refuses to meet those standards, he shuts himself out of the market. Frankly, I am not prepared to feed some junk to my kid just because a Czech hippy freak has his own views. It's a bit like insisting on driving on the other side of the road, isn't it?
Ronald Vopel, Brussels

Our colleague Ronald from Brussels is the problem.No Czech Hippy freak (his words)is forcing his cheese into Ronald's children. But Brussels is taking away choice, forcing our suppliers to meet ever more stringent and expensive rules that please only the ever increasing army of civil servants. We all end up eating Dutch plastic pork, tasteless Danish cheeses and flavourless veg.
Steve Grum, Marlborough, Wilts.

To be honest, flies and licked fingers do not make me want to by the Czech man's cheese either. I am reminded of a Yes Minister episode in which a move is made to close the Department of Administrative Affairs, and so in a desperate attempt they consider launching an add campaign, "Red Tape is Fun!" Unfortunately, it seems that most EU officials don't understand it was a joke! If the EU wants to survive as anything more meaningful than the Byzantine Empire, then it needs to try to get rid or a whole lot of red tape.
Mark Nelson, Tallinn, Estonia

The thing that many people seem to ignore is that 'Brussels' - ie the commission - only proposes rules. It is the national governments themselves, in the council of ministers, who approve them - and then, often, 'gold plate' them as well. Of course, a lot of the plans Brussels proposes could well be described as bureaucratic, but my experience, as a commentator on EU life, is that much of what the commission proposes tends to be influenced by national interests, either by being watered down beforehand or amended to death afterwards! This is why the court of justice has to get involved - countries approve legislation and then blithely ignore it or overegg it when introducing it at home - all of which gets blamed, in the press and frequently by the governments themselves, on 'overpaid petty bureacrats' in Brussels.
Chris, Brussels, Belgium

It has hit France in a big way, especially if you are of working age. A friend in his early 30s set up a small free range direct sale poultry business. Not only did he have to study for a year for a diploma in how to wash your hands, (he already has a masters - in history admittedly) but then had to construct a new fully conforming "laboratroire" for slaughtering and cooking his patés and things. All of which needed a hefty bank loan and huge number of visits from overpaid, over educated, very young "inspectors." There are now more inspectors than entrepreneurs in France. I suppose the onlyway my friend can survive in France, is that the French are prepared to pay 15 euros for a good roasting chicken.
Brian, Angouleme, France

Hello,I'm not keen on EU mostly due to it's system.EU bureaucrats pretend 'Robin HOOD'(who used to take from wealthy ones and give poor ones).Yet they solely pretend:-(They take money from skilful people or whole countries and give it to the others and of course pretty big part of it will never get to it's destination.Isn't it weird?There is still very strong democracy(I believe),but is it also democracy when some people far away from you can decide whether you deserve grant or not???
Pavel procházka, Moravský Krumlov,Czech Republic

I hear similar stories from my in-laws in Latvia. Every now and then they tell stories about how the EU has ordered Latvia to close its sugar facturies, or that due to the EU it is no longer allowed to sell salt without Iodine. Most of these stories turn out to be not true, of course.
Jan-Willem, Wageningen, the Netherlands

I lived in Brno, Czech Republic, for a year. The one thing I did note (among others) that all the Czech people always said that their goverment always took certain EU rules literally, and applied them to the extreme. It is nice to read something whilst at work to remind me of my time there, no matter how obscure!
Lee, Bristol

"Gold plating" EU legislation is probably not the real problem in the UK and may not be the real one in the Czech Republic either. The over-zealous use of rules that you're describing is more likely to happen at a local level, when they provide an excuse for cuts in spending. How many times have we heard of a local authority trying to close a childrens' play area or withdraw other services on the grounds of "health & safety", when the real objective is to remove the need to pay for these things? I have to admit, though, it's pretty difficult to see what savings could be made by banning goulash!
Robko, London, UK

Bullseye Mark! I spent 37 years working for London's Tube/Metro. At the end, so many people were using obscure EU directives as a way of achieving their own goals that the whole enterprise took on a "you can't do that because.." culture. It killed me off and I left, so did many other would-be achievers. 'Decadence' is another word for it.
Paul Fischer, Varazdin, Croatia

I know it's not really to be taken seriously - but the Czech way of 'gold-plating' EU regulations does smack of typical Central European dogmatic bureaucracy. KuK is one side of it (old Austria-Hungary, that means), Germany is another place with the same sort of hide-bound attitude. That the UK is also like this is perhaps no anomaly: it is occupied by a predominantly Germanic-speaking, beer-drinking people. There was that connection between binge drinking and having been outside the Roman Empire - the Anglo-Saxons were, and so were the Slavs and most of the tribes that became Germany. Wonder if they also went whole hog, bristles and all, on the bureaucratic bit, once they learnt it?
D. Fear, Heidelberg, Germany

The diary has opened a pandora's box. If common folk are complaining about EU regulations, but their own countries are compounding the regulations with their own "gold plating", who on Earth in these member countries, such as the UK and Czech Republic--are driving this "gold plating"? Red tape on top of red tape it is! You could make a whole Weblog series about that and expose the heavy-handed regulationists for what they are! I don't understand the need for redundant heavy-handed "gold plated" regulations!
Kiki Lavier, Redwood City, California

Too many rules and regulations fly out of Brussels simply because the petty bureaucrats employed there are are only concerned with trying to justify their existance thereby ensuring their hefty salaries, allowance scams & platinum-plated pensions continue. We, the ordinary people of Europe, are simply the apathetic plebians who allow it to continue.
John, London

Its truly phenomenal how some people think they will die a slow, horrific death if they eat something that may have a bit of 'un-hygenieness' - some bactieria is good and besides how did one live many decades and indeed centuries ago? Like a gentlemen said before you need a masters in 'washing your hands' so that one can have a legitimate buisness farming buiness without being labeled a backyard shonkie food poisoning peasant. In this ever increasing world of cancers and other incurrables maybe its time to question all these additives and preservatives, science food and mega hygenie..food for thought (excuse the pun) gimme some of that homemade cheese YUMMO! Pozdrav od Makedonija
Goran, Ohrid, Macedonia

So... the French comply about "unfair" Czech practices? Do they remember that the Czechs get only 25% of the subsidies the Frenchies do? The CAP ring any bells? We the Central Europeans are treated as second-rate Europeans.
Zbigniew, Not from France

I have heard of this farm already. It is no suprise for me. We are well-know for untranslatable Czech humor. And this story is just a next evidence in a long row. I admit I do not like EU regulations. Typical markets and menus in restaurants changed its face a lot. Sometimes I ask, how it is possible to sell fresh cheese and meat on the market in France or in U. K. and the same thing is forbidden in the Czech Republic?
Laubová Lenka, Czech Republic

One would think that at least a portion of EU funds more evenly distributed among nations would find it's way to Peter and others, enabling them to improve their businesses. And this is where the EU seems to have missed the boat. For all the complicated, and it seems, at times nonsensical rules and laws, business development is still the opportunity for the EU as a whole to increase it's power and foundation as a 'business orientated community.' And to cut off the emperor's nose would require some thought. Should the nose be a 'straight banana', or are we only dissecting the curved ones!
alex, Brit studying in Moscow

I thought the Byzantines would cut out the eyes of rivals to the throne, but Gordon Brown would then have the problem of visting Brussels for conferences and risk being arrested by the International Court!
David James, Stuttgart, Germany

There is a lot of Byzantine history: in the period I know best, the deposition (or pre-emptive) practice was not rhinokopia but blinding. One might say that this made literal the disorder from which the emperor had metaphorically suffered?
David C. Pugh, Bergen, Norway

I'm interested in the SF you were reading. As a keen fan myself I'm always interested in picking up tips.
David Brown, Nicosia, Cyprus

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