IFA President Welcomes European Parliament Vote on Unfair Trading Practices

IFA President Joe Healy has welcomed today’s vote in the European Parliament adopting a report calling for more action to tackle Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) in the food supply chain.

Acknowledging the stance taken by MEPs, Mr Healy said, “IFA has been lobbying for stronger EU legislation to tackle the dominance of retailers and wholesalers in the food supply chain”.

The report, which seeks to reduce the negative impact of UTPs on producers, addresses the impact on farmers of late payments, food over-production, wastage and difficult trading relationships.

Joe Healy repeated IFA’s call for stronger regulation in Europe to deal with the unfairness in the food supply chain.

Mr Healy, who is Chairman of the COPA Working Party on the Food Chain, said EU farm leaders would be discussing the MEPs support and the next steps to be taken at a meeting Brussels next week.

Mr Healy welcomed the comments in the report recognising the limitations of the voluntary EU Supply Chain Initiative (SCI), including not being able to lodge confidential complaints and having no penalties for non-compliance.

“Commissioner Hogan must now introduce an EU wide approach so that Irish and other EU farmers are protected from the existing exploitation in the supply chain,” Joe Healy concluded.