A frequent complaint about the EU is its obsession with regulation. Is this necessary and are the regulators qualified to set the rules? Not always.
To enforce greater energy efficiency on small appliances Brussels intends to limit the power of kettles (the plan has been delayed until after the UK referendum so as not to enhance the EU’s reputation for meddling). The energy required to heat a given volume of water from tap temperature to boiling point is the same regardless of energy source, therefore a 2Kw kettle uses the same energy as a 3Kw kettle. However since the latter will do the job faster there will be (slightly) less wasted energy due to heat conduction away from the kettle. Are there no scientists or engineers in Brussels?
Britain is likely to be hit hardest by the kettle rule: the UK accounts for a third of all EU kettle sales, despite having just 11 per cent of the population. That is due to a national love of tea.
We would love to get comments about other silly regulations. Perhaps there are also some really useful ones that only the EU could realistically have introduced and enforced.
This EU Won't Work 