The Commission's view on Unfair Trading Practices in the food - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

The Commission's view on Unfair Trading Practices in the food supply chain

Gerd Heinen, Policy Officer, business-to-business services

EESC hearing Promoting a fairer agro-food supply chain Brussels, 22 June 2016

Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

January 2013 – UTP Green Paper July 2014 – Commission Communication January 2016 – Commission Report on UTPs

Commission assessments

Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Commission report

• - Assessment of national frameworks:

Several meetings with Member States (ministries and enforcement bodies). Bilateral follow-up work.

• - Assessment of voluntary initiatives:

Independent assessment of SCI and national voluntary platforms by external research company

Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

• large majority of MS introduced

regulation and public enforcement

• addressing the ‘fear factor’ through

accepting confidential complaints and independent enforcement

• different approaches can address UTPs

effectively

Conclusions of the report

• n national legislations - 1

Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

• at this stage: no added value of a specific

harmonised approach

• close monitoring of national frameworks
• MS without UTP legislation could benefit

from following successful examples of national voluntary initiatives

Conclusions of the report

• n national legislations - 2

Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Benefits:

• created awareness around UTPs and

induced cultural change

• potentially faster and cheaper alternative

to judicial proceedings

• could help resolve cross-border issues

Conclusions of the report

• n Supply Chain Initiative - 1

Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Areas for improvement:

• enhance impartiality of SCI governance

group, potentially independent chair

• enable individual confidential complaints

and independent investigations

• Commission to closely follow developments

Conclusions of the report

• n Supply Chain Initiative - 2

Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Thank you for your attention!

Gerd Heinen

Policy Officer, business-to-business services Directorate-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs