The final meeting of the agriculture and fisheries ministers under the Slovakian presidency is taking place in Brussels this week. Fisheries is the key issue at the December meeting with the fixing of quotas for the following year, but there were important agriculture issues as well on the agenda.Unfair trading practices in the food chain were a declared
priority for the current Slovakian presidency of the EU.
The final meeting of the agriculture and fisheries ministers under the Slovakian presidency is taking place in Brussels this week. Fisheries is the key issue at the December meeting with the fixing of quotas for the following year, but there were important agriculture issues as well on the agenda.
Unfair trading practices in the food chain were a declared priority for the current Slovakian presidency of the EU.
Momentum for legislation has been building, with an overwhelming vote in the parliament in June followed by a report to Commissioner Hogan from the expert taskforce he put in place to consider the issue.
It came out resoundingly in favour of legislation to prevent supermarkets engaging in unfair practices, such as late cancellation of orders for perishable goods, delaying payments beyond 30 days and back-dating contracts.
Listen to an interview with Agriculture Minister Michael Creed in Brussels in our podcast below:
Today was the first opportunity for the council of agriculture ministers to consider it and, as Minister Creed said in his podcast, the council divided along predictable lines. A number of member states are of the view that action should be at a national level, with the UK grocery code adjudicator given as an example.
The other view, strongly promoted by Ireland through Minister Creed, is similar to that of parliament and the taskforce that legislation on unfair trading practices and transparency should be enforced at an EU level.
Today was the first consideration and, importantly, no member state has walked away. An impact assessment is the next suggested step, which will carry forward into the Maltese presidency from 1 January.
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Farm unions push for legislation on unfair trading practices
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