Press Release: EP supports Commission move to facilitate trade with US and to allow continued use of pints and miles

The European Parliament has endorsed in first reading the European Commission proposal on units of measurement (see IP/07/1297), which means that Britain and Ireland can continue to use miles for road signs and speed indications, and pints for bottled milk and draught beer and cider. It also makes it possible to continue to use indefinitely labels with supplementary or dual indications of both metric and imperial sizes. The Commission proposal was based on the results of a public consultation in early 2007, which underlined the smooth functioning of the corresponding Directive 80/181/EEC, which allowed only a temporary use of pints, miles and dual labelling. The Commission is now expecting an endorsement by the Council in view of a first reading agreement so as to facilitate a quick adoption and implementation of this measure.

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