Europe - I mean WTF???

The unintended consequences of unread legislation... Stores in Europe will soon be prohibited from selling eggs by the dozen. From the UK site The Grocer:

Unit sales to be axed by mad new EU law
It tried to ban pounds and ounces. It introduced rules on bendy fruit and veg.

Now, if controversial EU Food Labelling Regulations are approved, Europe will outlaw the sale of groceries using numbers - the oldest, most basic measurement of all.

Under the draft legislation, to come into force as early as next year, eggs by the dozen, a four-pack of apples, and eight rashers of bacon along with scores of other grocery goods would be banned as a description on packaging, after MEPs last week voted against an amendment to the regulations that would allow individual states to nominate products that can be sold by number.

Each country is currently allowed this exemption under existing EU food directives. But the new Food Labelling Regulations make no such provisions. And all groceries would have to be sold according to their weight instead costing the industry millions, and leading potentially to labelling chaos.

The legislation could even see special unit-based promotional packs offering 'eight chocolate bars for the price of six' banned.

The legislation was declared "bonkers" and "absolute madness" by food industry experts, and although the implications of the draft were likely to have been an oversight, according to Federation of Bakers director Gordon Polson, it may be too late to change.

"The problem is now the exemption has been omitted from the legislation, it will be very difficult to get it put back in," said Polson.

When food industry lobbyists tried to rectify the omission with an amendment, after it was discovered in the 174 pages of amendments to the initial 75-page proposal, there was not enough time to convince members of its importance before the crucial vote, he added.

"This is hindering rather than helping the consumer, taking away one of the key bits of information," said a major supplier. "If this goes through it would demonstrate how far removed the legislators are from the real world. It's bonkers."

Emphasis mine -- no shit Sherlock. And Obama looks upon this as the shining model of what government should be...