Politics Europese Commissie
12 EU countries under fire for unfair trade
The European Commission is launching infringement proceedings against 12 Member States that have not taken sufficient measures against unfair trade practices in the agri-food chain. According to the Commission, Belgium, Italy and Poland, among others, have taken too few measures.
France and Estonia have indicated that their legislation is only partially compliant with the Directive. The directive was adopted on April 17, 2019 and Member States had until May 1 this year to implement it. The Commission has sent a formal letter of formal notice to the countries concerned and asked them to take action. Member States have 2 months to respond.
Protecting the farmer
The aim of the Directive against unfair trading practices is to improve the position of farmers and other small-scale suppliers. Among other things, the directive deals with late payment and last-minute cancellation of an order containing perishable goods. Unilateral or retrospective adjustment of contracts, forcing the supplier to pay for wasted products and non-compliance with written contracts must also be laid down in legislation according to the directive.
Farmers and other SME suppliers or organizations they represent should have the opportunity to report such customer practices. Subsequently, the national authorities have to deal with these complaints and possibly take action against such practices. Confidentiality must also be observed in order to prevent possible reprisals by the customers against the reporters.
Jurphaas Lugtenburg
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