Brussels insight: Good week for tackling unfair trading practices
With MEPs relocated to Strasbourg for the week, it was left to the council and commission to deliberate and advance issues in the final council of the Slovakian presidency in Brussels.
This report probably exceeded most people’s expectations in its frankness, and this week Hogan was selling it to the agriculture and fisheries ministers at their council at the start of the week and again to the heads of Government on Thursday in the high-level forum. In both cases, he found a willing audience, with even the countries considered more hostile giving it a fair hearing. This is probably an unfair description – many countries have their own legislation of such a strong co-op structure that they visualise EU-wide legislation actually undermining an already satisfactory arrangement, so overall, the EU appears well disposed to some further action.
The agreement to get an impact assessment done in the new year is as much as could have been hoped for. It keeps momentum and the commissioner can go to the agriculture committee of the parliament at the beginning of January expecting a friendly hearing.
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Gesture politics
Farm organisations across Europe are pleased with developments to this point but Agra Facts, the Brussels-based trade publication, is reporting that the wholesalers and retailers representative body, Eurocommerce, is dismissive of this course of action as “mere gesture politics” that won’t benefit farmers or market prices. There is some merit in their point on prices but what legislation can do is prohibit activities that hurt weaker links in the supply chain such as credit squeezing, cancellation or modification of orders. Also greater transparency in costs, stocks and pricing after the farm gate will at a minimum enhance understanding of costs along the supply chain and build confidence.
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This report probably exceeded most people’s expectations in its frankness, and this week Hogan was selling it to the agriculture and fisheries ministers at their council at the start of the week and again to the heads of Government on Thursday in the high-level forum. In both cases, he found a willing audience, with even the countries considered more hostile giving it a fair hearing. This is probably an unfair description – many countries have their own legislation of such a strong co-op structure that they visualise EU-wide legislation actually undermining an already satisfactory arrangement, so overall, the EU appears well disposed to some further action.
The agreement to get an impact assessment done in the new year is as much as could have been hoped for. It keeps momentum and the commissioner can go to the agriculture committee of the parliament at the beginning of January expecting a friendly hearing.
Gesture politics
Farm organisations across Europe are pleased with developments to this point but Agra Facts, the Brussels-based trade publication, is reporting that the wholesalers and retailers representative body, Eurocommerce, is dismissive of this course of action as “mere gesture politics” that won’t benefit farmers or market prices. There is some merit in their point on prices but what legislation can do is prohibit activities that hurt weaker links in the supply chain such as credit squeezing, cancellation or modification of orders. Also greater transparency in costs, stocks and pricing after the farm gate will at a minimum enhance understanding of costs along the supply chain and build confidence.
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