Press Release: Commission proposes deregulation of pack sizes

The European Commission adopted a proposal on 28 October 2004 to deregulate pack sizes for a whole range of consumer products (such as detergents, pet food, ice cream, frozen food, low alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, cleaning products, paints, shampoo, toothpaste, etc). The rules which were to be replaced dated from the 1970s, when Member States' rules on pack sizes had constituted barriers to trade, and Community rules had been necessary to access markets. Except for a few sectors, the Commission proposed to abolish Community and national regulation of size in the light of well established case law of the European Court of Justice. This would make it easier to cater for ever more divergent consumer needs.