The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has issued a response to the Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA’s) statement this morning that beef prices could be discussed during stakeholder talks later today, Monday, September 9.
In a statement, the commission confirmed that it met with the IFA on Friday, September 6, during which the CCPC “confirmed that it did not have any role in establishing the beef stakeholder meeting or play any part in the meeting”.
Continuing, the commission statement added:
However, the CCPC reminded those in attendance that discussions on pricing are generally prohibited under competition law and that the IFA should seek its own legal advice to clarify what is permitted under the law.
The response added that, prior to this meeting, the CCPC also wrote to the IFA setting out the limitations to discussing prices under competition law.
“The CCPC is the statutory body with responsibility for the enforcement of competition law, and as such the CCPC strongly refutes any suggestion that it ‘would not put any impediment in the way of prices being discussed at the talks’,” the commission added.
“Competition law is a well-established feature of Irish and European law and all parties to the meeting are expected to take this into consideration in participating in the beef stakeholder talks,” the commission statement concluded.