In a surprise move officials said was aimed at “preventing dangerous leaks”, the European Commission imposed a two-day moratorium on jokes about its forthcoming gas regulation and methane leakage proposals.
“This kind of humour is a noxious influence on EU policy,” said the Commission’s chief spokesperson, Eric Mamer. “Its influence is silent, but deadly. If I catch wind of even a whiff of it, the EU will act quickly to impose severe sanctions, up to possibly sending a letter.”
The news came as a shock to EU satirists, wiseacres, parody accounts, amateur comedians, lesser Commissioners (all 24 of them) and other stakeholders.
A spokesperson for SnarkEurope, the industry association for the fast-growing EU satirical sector, said the moratorium “really stinks to high heaven. But I guess we’ll just have to hold our noses and go along with it.”
The SnarkEurope spokesman also questioned Mamer’s threat to punish humourists, saying it was a diversionary tactic.
“According to the EU’s Precautionary Principle, ‘the one who smelt it dealt it’”, the spokesman said. “That wasn’t a fart joke, by the way.”