After a positive end to the inter-institutional negotiations with the Council and following today’s overwhelming vote in the plenary of the European Parliament to abolish the Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) in the food supply chain, the head of the Parliament’s negotiating team and S&D rapporteur, Paolo De Castro, stated:

 

“David has defeated Goliath. Fairness, healthier food and social rights have finally prevailed over the Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) in the food supply chain. For the very first time in the EU history, farmers, food producers and consumers will no longer be bullied by big players.

 

"No more to unilateral reductions of the contracted quantity for perishable goods. No more to late payments for perishable and non-perishable products, stop with the obligations for suppliers to take back products not sold. No more to this sort of blackmailing and to the dramatic race to the bottom in terms of social rights, unemployment and human health.

 

"Thanks to the crucial S&D commitment, the overwhelming majority of the European Parliament has today turned into reality a 10-year battle fiercely fought by our farmers and consumers to harmonise the 20 national legislations currently in force in the EU. We resisted against the pressure coming from lobbies, we didn’t bow to the Parliament’s ultra-liberal wing’s attempt to postpone this Directive. Our stubbornness has been bullet-proofed by European common citizens and producers, so that finally even the Council has unanimously backed our position. This is a great success, a beautiful day for Europe and for all Europeans. This is the EU we stand for. The EU that affects people’s daily life, by eradicating inequalities and fighting for citizens’ health, environment and fairness.”