EU can't push Scots foods here

SCOTLAND - Scottish Parliament bosses say European regulations mean they cannot promote Scottish food in the MSPs' restaurant.

But presiding officer George Reid has told her EU "fair competition" rules stand in the way.

In a letter, he said: "The Scottish Parliament, along with other public bodies, must comply with European procurement law in the purchase of its goods and services.

"In the case of the catering contract, this means the Scottish Parliament cannot specify a geographical location or the locality in which the food is produced. In other words, it cannot specify 'local' as this would be discriminatory."

Ms Grahame branded the ruling "ridiculous" and said she suspected other countries just ignored the regulations.

And Tory MSP Phil Gallie said: "I've never heard such rubbish in all my life. Europe is supposed to be 25 states all with their own cultures that are respected.

Nationalist MSP Christine Grahame wanted the Holyrood menu to feature specialities from the regions of Scotland on a rotational basis to showcase Scottish produce to overseas visitors.

Source: The Scotsman