European politicians today backed a European Commission decision saving pints and miles from metrication.
The European Parliament endorsed a commission announcement in September that efforts were being abandoned to force Britain and Ireland to give up traditional imperial measures in pubs and for the British to switch to kilometres on roadsigns.
Ireland has already switched to kilometres on the State's road network.
The U-turn came after public consultations undertaken by the commission, which confirmed that allowing imperial measures to carry on alongside metric measures would not disrupt trade and commerce - and would counter anti-EU sentiments in the United Kingdom.
After the European Parliament backing, EU Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen commented: "This is good news for British and Irish citizens, who are used to their traditions of miles and pints.
"It is also good for exporters, who can continue to have one single label for sales throughout the whole European Union and for exports to the United States."
PA