How far should standardisation go?

A key component of the EU's internal market for goods and services is the possibility of buying and selling across Europe. To ensure safety, stimulate trade and ensure that no business has an unfair advantage, similar standards are often required. This can lead to a change of size or name in well-known products, which often arouses opposition. MEPs help regulate the single market so the extent of product standardisation is a key issue for them and the people who elect them - you!
Here are just some examples of where standardisation has been applied:
 
Toy safety: Parliament has taken a tough line to ensure that any toys sold in the EU are free of harmful toxic substances.
 
Postal services: When the EU postal services directive was being debated in Parliament, MEPs insisted that citizens be assured of letter collection and delivery at least once a day and five times a week regardless of where they live.
 
Cosmetics were also on EP agenda when it outlawed animal testing of finished cosmetic products from 2004. More recently the EP fought to ban certain substances which affect human health, from all the EU cosmetic products.
 
Chargers: The European Union is currently working on introducing a new standardised charger, which will replace 30 different kinds of charger currently on the European market. The new charger will be used for mobile phones and other electronic devices like cameras, laptops, iPod and MP3 players
 
Emergency 112 number:  MEPs have backed the introduction of a Europe-wide 112 emergency number so that travellers will know how to reach the emergency services no matter where they are.
 
Safeguarding tradition
 
Although some steps can make life easier there is considerable resistance to too much standardisation, particularly when it comes to cultural issues. In December 2008 MEPs voted to protect a raft of traditions which would for example allow Britons to keep the mile instead of the kilometre and their beloved pint of beer.