Commission to tackle unfair trading practices

The European Commission says it will propose legislation to outlaw unfair trading practices (UTPs) in the food supply chain.

This commitment came from the farm commissioner Phil Hogan, pictured,who has long backed the case for legislation.

He says plans will emerge late this year or early next year, although getting them through member states could prove challenging.

The decision on legislation has been welcomed by the agriculture committee of the European Parliament, but a number of member states are lukewarm.

It is vigorously opposed by major retailers, who favour a voluntary approach.

The case for legislation came out of an agri-markets task force set up by Hogan.

Legislation is unlikely to go as far as the UK Grocery Code Adjudicator, and will not be in place before Brexit.

The agriculture committee of the European Parliament has cleared the way for a deal to implement changes to the CAP.

This ‘omnibus package’ is designed to tweak the policy until it is replaced with a new CAP in 2020.

Central to it are changes to greening, which the European Commission claims will give member states and farmers more flexibility.

This has been greeted with some scepticism by farm lobby groups, but environmental pressure groups have criticised the commission for not making the legislation even tougher.

The changes also make existing risk management measures, through rural development, more effective and clear the way for more producer groups to boost farmers’ negotiating muscle.

Details have emerged of the results of the consultation by the European Commission on the future of the CAP.

A late surge of responses took the number of replies to a record breaking 320,000.

Of these just under 1,500 came from groups, but the rest were from individuals.

Of the total, more than 50% came from Germany.

It seems certain that farmers’ views have lost out in the responses. Environmental lobby organisations have admitted they used their contacts in many EU member states to mobilise a response.

These submissions will be taken on board by the commission when it draws up its proposals in the autumn on the direction for the new CAP.

It is now likely to be greener than many farmers would like.

After Brexit the EU will be one of the UK’s biggest competitors for food exports, and according to the latest figures it is winning in its drive to boost exports.

The commissioner, Phil Hogan, has made this a priority, and this week he led a delegation of food businesses to north America.

This follows similar trade missions to other key markets, including Asia and China.

Sales topped 10.7 billion euro in February, with the increase greatest into key markets, including China and the US.

After Brexit the UK will have to negotiate separate trade deals with individual countries, offering a market of 60 million consumers against 500m in the EU.

Most countries, including the US, say their priority is to secure trade deals with the EU.

Legislation is unlikely to go as far as the UK Grocery Code, and will not be in place before Brexit