EU bureaucracy stops country women: Christmas market without tradition!

EU bureaucracy stops country women: Christmas market without tradition!

Bordesholm, Schleswig-Holstein, Deutschland - scandal for the sweet temptations-the EU bureaucracy mercilessly strikes!

The familiar fragrance of freshly baked cakes, a familiar pleasure on the Christmas market in Bordesholm, Schleswig-Holstein for almost half a century, is suddenly interrupted. The country women, known for their masterfully baked cakes, have to hang their aprons on the hooks. The EU regulation No. 852/2004 demands your traditional craft by classifying the bakers as "food companies".

With their love and devotion, the country women create their cake works of art. But now the bureaucracy demands its tribute: ingredient lists, certification and strict cooling rules are now mandatory. Even a health certificate could be requested by the bakers. A challenge too great for the association, which with its 430 members has to manage the giant rush of around 8000 guests annually.

panic from controls and punishments!

In Dithmarschen, checks and bans did not remain unanswered. Claudia Jargstorf, the chairwoman of the country women's association, admits in an interview with the "Holsteiner Zeitung" that the fear of inspections and fines moved the women to throw a towel. Wouldn't one be able to save yourself with warning signs such as "production from private cuisine, consumption at your own risk"? That remains a dream. The district administration underpins on the image request: Such a bypass is legally excluded.

While smaller events could receive a liberation, the Christmas market with its crowds is not such. A happy festival of tradition and community is under the wheels of the rigid regulations. The country women from Bordesholm are forced to give up the cake sale with a heavy heart, but the EU laws regard this as a necessary step towards food safety. The dream of simple delights is thus questioned by the strict regulations of the European Union.