I can give you a perfect example of ridiculous EU legislation from the '90s - The Machineries Directive. There was one overall directive, but then a number of specific ones that took precedance for certain areas.
I used to work for a company making industrial compressors and there was a specific directive for compressors. Unfortunately, they wrote it around roadworks compressors, not fixed installations. One requirement was for all openable or removeable panels to be fitted with switches, so that accessing them would shut it down - intended to stop roadworkers sticking their hands in. However, we provided large, fixed units (up to
24MW drives) with dozens of panels (often inch or more thick steel), all bolted in place with dozens of bolts each - some of these were on 1" or 1-1/2" studs and not something anywould would just open. These units were for use in refineries, chemical plants and on oil rigs, where only trained maintainers would have access and even then only by work permit and with planned work procedures, full isolations, etc. Such switches were irrelevant and difficult to add due to the cabling passing through various airtight compartments.Eventually, we got Brussels to see sense (sort of) and we received a formal letter saying that we need not fit these switches - not because they were irrelevant, but because as we did not supply and install the Motor Control Centres, our units could not be run as they left the factory and therefore our 100-odd ton, mechanical devices, with electric or turbine drives, plus full control system (my part) were "not machines."
SteveW