Negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council have reached an agreement to strengthen the protection of farmers against unfair trading practices by buyers of agricultural products. The new legislation makes cross-border cooperation between national authorities mandatory in order to prevent unfair commercial practices by large buyers of agricultural products that harm small producers.
With this new framework, power relations across the entire supply chain will be balanced, ensuring that farmers are paid fairly for their work. Rapporteur Stefano Bonaccini (Socialists, Italy) noted that “we managed to turn a simple administrative regulation into a framework of economic and social justice. We are saying ‘enough’ to those who believe that farmers must bow to the dictates of large buyers and retailers.”
The provisional political agreement must now be approved by both the Council and Parliament. The new rules will enter into force twenty days after their publication in the Official Journal of the EU and will be applied 18 months later.
