The proposed directive on unfair trading practices (UTPs) is set to be the key focus of tomorrow’s meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Agriculture Committee.
Representatives from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA), the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and Retail Ireland will be present at different stages of the meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, October 16).
The proposed directive is the first ever action by the European Commission to address the issue of UTPs in the food supply chain, with the sector particularly vulnerable to such practices due to the large differences in bargaining power, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine stated.
The department briefed the committee on the proposal towards the latter end of September.
This meeting continues the committee’s consideration of the proposal, with the CCPC and stakeholders who may be impacted by the proposal addressing the committee.
Speaking about the meeting, the chair of the committee, Fine Gael TD Pat Deering, said today: “Tomorrow’s meeting will see the committee resume its examination of the proposed directive on UTPs in business-to-business relationships in the food supply chain – something which we discussed with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine last month.
We will discuss the proposed directive in the context of what it could do to protect farmers and smaller companies from UTPs when selling to larger companies.
“The proposal is also developing at EU level, with the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee suggesting the addition of further banned practices and for the scope of the proposed directive to be extended to all buyers.
“With this in mind, the possible directions that negotiations on the proposal will take will also be discussed at the meeting,” he concluded.
The meeting is scheduled to get underway at 3:30pm.