Relevant Matter
Legislation
Public Policy Area
EU Affairs
Period
1 Sep, 2018 to 31 Dec, 2018
Specific Details
Directive of the European Parliament and the Council, COM(2018)173 on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the food supply chain
Intended results
To highlight IFA's campaign both at home with Governments and in Europe, for a rebalancing of power in the food supply chain, to deliver a viable price for farmers, and a return on their work and investment.
To demonstrate that across Member States, there is recurring evidence of large retailers dominating the market with excessive buying power and dictating price levels back to farmers, often driving prices to uneconomic levels and even below the cost of production.
To welcome the Directive which provides for the introduction of a minimum common standard of protection across Member States, which is to be welcomed. This means that the European Commission is targeting the problem of under-protection against UTPs by providing a common minimum standard of protection in the EU.
To highlight that it is IFA's position that the EU Directive should apply to the full food supply chain.
To get support so that the European Parliament strengthens the legislation by adding other UTPs so that producers have clear written contracts, and in order to tackle abuses by retailers, including
•,unsustainable discounting / below-cost selling
•,annual tendering by retailers, and •,payment for retention or better positioning of shelf space.
That the Government here in Ireland transposes, without delay, the EU Directive when it has been adopted in Brussels.
To be effective and this will require, •,the appointment of an Independent Retail Regulator with a specific remit, and •,that the Regulator's remit should now be expanded to provide the European Commission with the mandatory price reporting required to comply with the transparency legislation that is to follow in the coming months.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Joe Healy. IFA President, Damian McDonald IFA Director General
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Informal communication (2-5)
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Jackie Cahill
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Pat Deering
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Martin Kenny
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Charlie McConalogue
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Willie Penrose
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Thomas Pringle
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Paul Daly
Senator (Seanad)
Tim Lombard
Senator (Seanad)
Michelle Mulherin
Senator (Seanad)
Heather Humphreys
Minister (Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation)
Ian Marshall
Senator (Seanad)