Brussels would modify the rules

EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel wants to scrap 26 of 36 marketing standards, the 10 remaining items account for 75 percent of the EU's cross-border trade in this area.

"Such products could be either misshapen or under-sized and
could for example be used by consumers for cooking or salads. In this
era of high prices and growing demand, it makes no sense to throw
these products away or destroy them," it said.

"The proposal would … allow member states to exempt fruit
and vegetables from specific marketing standards if they are sold
with a label 'products intended for processing' or equivalent
wording," the Commission said in a statement.

EU agriculture ministers are expected to vote on Fischer Boel's
plan before the end of the year but not before October at the
earliest, officials say.