A public consultation on the primary legislation needed to establish a new Office of a National Food Ombudsman or regulator has been opened by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue today (Monday, April 26).
The new office will have a role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland, according to the Department of Agriculture.
It will also incorporate enforcement authority functions required by the EU’s Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Directive, it was added.
In addition to establishing the new office, the primary legislation may introduce rules that go beyond those included in the UTP Directive, the department says.
Minister McConalogue said he wants the national food ombudsman to “bring a greater level of transparency to all parts of the supply chain”, stating:
“The outcome of this consultation will help to determine the principles and policies to be included in the new legislation and the powers to be assigned to the new office.
“I encourage all stakeholders to participate in the consultation to help define the future role of the new office.”
The minister continued, adding: “I expect to announce shortly the transposition of the UTP Directive as it stands through secondary legislation, a statutory instrument.
“This consultation includes an opportunity for input from the public on additional functions that can and should be assigned to the new office.
The consultation can be found here.