Brussels spouts 5,000 words about cabbages!

EXCLUSIVE

VERBOSE Brussels bureaucrats have produced a 5,000word directive – on cabbages.

Commission regulation 1591/ 87 lays down common standards for cabbages, sprouts, ribbed celery, spinach and plums.

The edict, which was drawn up in 1987, runs to 5,371 words. By contrast some the most profound writing in history has made use of much less.

The Lord’s Prayer is 66 words, American President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in 1863 was encapsulated in 271 words while the Ten Commandments contain just 297.

Critics said the rambling ruling exposes how business is strangled by EU red tape and was another reason to vote to quit the bloc on June 23.

Endless

UK Independence Party employment spokeswoman Jane Collins said she was “not surprised a directive on cabbages was so long- winded because the EU motto is regulate everything then tax it”.

She said: “If the laws were short and to the point and on matters that actually needed legislation they wouldn’t have the excuse to employ so many people and occupy so many offi ces: there is probably a ‘ green leafy vegetable’ department we’ve yet to uncover.

“Philosophies based on common sense don’t need endless reams of paper because people can use logic to understand principles of freedom, of liberty and of being kind to our neighbours.

“The EU is based on nonsense political doctrine so everything has to be spelled out to the letter because it makes no sense. Personally I think the Cabbages code, wordier than the Lords Prayer, Ten Commandments and Lincoln only cabbages are the people who think the EU should be making our laws and taking our money.”

The mind- boggling EU regulation makes clear “minimum requirements” mean headed cabbages should be fresh in appearance and show no signs of fl ower development. They should be clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter and free of abnormal external moisture.

Crucially, the stem should be cut slightly below the lowest point of leaf growth.

The leaves should remain fi rmly attached, and the cut should be clean.