Britain's pint of milk lives to fight another day

BRUSSELS - Scottish whisky and Britain's much-loved pints of milk won a reprieve yesterday as EU lawmakers diluted proposals to bring unorthodox bottle and package sizes into line across the bloc's 25 member countries.

The European Commission, which drafts new laws on behalf of EU governments, wanted only a few products -- such as instant coffee and white sugar -- to keep quirkier, national sizes for bottles and packages. The rest would be standardised.

But MEPs disagreed, voting to exclude items like milk, whisky and other spirits from the law's scope and insisting that the Commission review the packaging law after eight years. Current EU law on pre-packaged products dates to the 1970s.

The original plan was for milk to be packaged in seven metric sizes so that consumers know exactly what they are buying. Besides turning this down, the European Parliament said other staple foods such as butter, dried pasta and rice should also continue to be sold in non-standard sizes.

Scottish MEPs were jubilant about the vote's effect on their whisky industry, which accounts for around 80 per cent of Britain's production of spirit drinks.

"I'm delighted that we've been able to put a stop to the European Commission's meddling which would have put many Scottish jobs at risk," Scottish MEP Ian Hudghton said.

"Their needless interference would have put up costs and led to unfair competition -- getting rid of standard size whisky bottles would have been bad news for the consumer and the producer alike," he said in a statement.

EU ministers will now consider the European Parliament's views and then the proposal will return to both the Commission and Parliament for further consideration.

- REUTERS