A method of operating an apparatus for applying drinking straws to packaging containers, the method comprising the steps of: - conveying packaging containers, on a first conveyor, past an application device and a drive means, - performing a straw application cycle by a synchronous movement of the application device and the drive means, comprising the steps of: - conveying a continuous belt of drinking straws wrapped in protective envelopes by rotating the drive means, - separating the drinking straw with the envelope from the belt by means of a separation device, - applying the separated drinking straw with envelope to a wall of the packaging container by means of the application device when the packaging container passes the application device, - synchronously driving the drive means, the separation device and the application device by a drive unit, characterised in that the method further comprises the steps of: - adjusting a pitch, between the packaging containers being transported on the first conveyor to the application device, by means of a pitch control device upstream the application device, such that the pitch becomes substantially equal between succeeding packaging containers and equal for all packaging sizes with an operational range of packaging sizes for the apparatus, the pitch is the distance between corresponding points on two succeeding packaging containers. - conveying packaging containers, on a first conveyor, past an application device and a drive means, - performing a straw application cycle by a synchronous movement of the application device and the drive means, comprising the steps of: - conveying a continuous belt of drinking straws wrapped in protective envelopes by rotating the drive means, - separating the drinking straw with the envelope from the belt by means of a separation device, - applying the separated drinking straw with envelope to a wall of the packaging container by means of the application device when the packaging container passes the application device, - synchronously driving the drive means, the separation device and the application device by a drive unit, characterised in that the method further comprises the steps of: - adjusting a pitch, between the packaging containers being transported on the first conveyor to the application device, by means of a pitch control device upstream the application device, such that the pitch becomes substantially equal between succeeding packaging containers and equal for all packaging sizes with an operational range of packaging sizes for the apparatus, the pitch is the distance between corresponding points on two succeeding packaging containers. - conveying a continuous belt of drinking straws wrapped in protective envelopes by rotating the drive means, - separating the drinking straw with the envelope from the belt by means of a separation device, - applying the separated drinking straw with envelope to a wall of the packaging container by means of the application device when the packaging container passes the application device, - synchronously driving the drive means, the separation device and the application device by a drive unit, characterised in that the method further comprises the steps of: - adjusting a pitch, between the packaging containers being transported on the first conveyor to the application device, by means of a pitch control device upstream the application device, such that the pitch becomes substantially equal between succeeding packaging containers and equal for all packaging sizes with an operational range of packaging sizes for the apparatus, the pitch is the distance between corresponding points on two succeeding packaging containers. - adjusting a pitch, between the packaging containers being transported on the first conveyor to the application device, by means of a pitch control device upstream the application device, such that the pitch becomes substantially equal between succeeding packaging containers and equal for all packaging sizes with an operational range of packaging sizes for the apparatus, the pitch is the distance between corresponding points on two succeeding packaging containers.