EU rules to spare newcomers' local customs

In the final leg of accession talks, the European Union is treading carefully to protect the culinary traditions and local customs of future member states in eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

While the EU and the 10 candidates wrangle over final terms of enlargement two weeks before they hope to reach a deal, the bloc is also trying to assuage national sensitivities in areas ranging from lynx hunting to sprat fishing and wine production.

The EU is at pains to counter popular views in the acceding countries that its standardisation rules would eliminate their gastronomical favourites and destroy traditional customs.

"This is an old story. In the EU member states, traditional products have flourished," European Commission President Romano Prodi said recently when asked about Czech citizens' fears that EU food hygiene regulations would outlaw traditional foods.

The EU plans to admit on May 1, 2004, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia to create the world's largest single market and trading bloc.

The candidates have won a number of exemptions from EU food rules, in the same way that EU founding member France, for example, secured the right to produce its Camembert cheese from unpasturised milk, although it cannot be sold abroad.

Similarly, Poland will be allowed to sell internally its "oscypek" cheese, which is made from sheep milk by Carpathian mountain dwellers who sometimes live in huts without running water.

Across the border, Slovaks will carry on making their traditional "bryndza" cheese, also from sheep milk, but softer and more aromatic than "oscypek".

"The EU is very sensitive to the issue of regionalisation. It will not destroy our traditions," said Ewa Haczyk, the Polish government's EU affairs spokeswoman.

Current EU president, Denmark has recently urged other Union members to offer candidates many concessions on often emotional national issues, where negotiations have been stalled for years.

These include Latvia's request for its hunters to be able to go on shooting bears and lynx, and for the demand of Baltic fishermen to catch smaller herring than EU regulations permit.

Malta is to be given exemptions from EU rules on protecting wild birds. The tiny Mediterranean island's hunters will be allowed to catch migratory quail and turtle doves in the spring, despite protests from environmentalist lobbies.

Hungary is to be granted exclusive use of the dessert wine appellation Tokay, despite opposition from Italy, which insists it has medieval-era documents permitting it to use the brand.

Vodka-drinking Poles will likely win exclusive rights to produce cheap, substandard "Polskie wino" after the French decided the beverage would not provide much competition for their national drink.

A row has erupted over the Palinka vodka as Romania is desperately seeking to block Hungary's request for the EU to grant it exclusivity in making the fruit-distilled spirit.

Balkan countries Romania and Bulgaria aim to join the EU in 2007, three years after the 10 frontrunners.

EU entry is bad news, however, for banana eaters in the candidate countries.

The price of bananas is set to triple in Poland as EU trade rules will force the country to import the fruit from former European colonies rather than more cheaply from central America.