The European Parliament’s agriculture committee adopted an opinion on 29 November (by 37 votes to 4, with 1 abstention) underlining that EU competition rules have to be better adapted to the specific needs of the agriculture sector.
“To effectively strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain, we need real clarification of EU competition law and rules on agricultural market organisation”, said rapporteur Michel Dantin (EPP, France). “While there is complete indifference that the retail sector is rapidly concentrating at the national and European levels, not enough is allowed for those farmers who wish to get organised and to join forces. They live in constant fear of receiving fines and being subject to controls by national competition authorities”, he added.
In its opinion for Parliament’s economic and financial affairs committee, which is drafting a report on European competition policy, the agriculture committee calls once again for EU legislation to tackle unfair trading practices (see EUROPE 11679) and measures to negotiating position of farmers in the food supply chain.
Its conclusions are similar to the recommendations of the agricultural markets task force (see EUROPE 11667), Dantin said, arguing that the ball is now in the Commission’s court.
Parliament’s economic and financial affairs committee is due to adopt its report on competition policy on 5 December and the issue will be debated in plenary session early next year. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)