FoodDrinkEurope welcomes the vote on the report on “a more efficient and fairer retail market” in the European Parliament plenary today.

The report, drafted by Corazza Bildt MEP, recognises the importance of food in the retail sector given that food represents around 50% of total retail sales in the EU(1), and acknowledges the imbalances between the different actors in the food chain.

FoodDrinkEurope believes that it is positive that the Parliament is willing to look for solutions to address unfair practices in business-to-business (B2B) relations in the sector and to participate in the Experts Platform on B2B contractual practices under the EU High Level Forum (HLF) for a Better Functioning Food Supply Chain. For food manufacturers, the bringing together of stakeholders, regulators and member states in the Forum can prove highly beneficial in developing solutions to Europe-wide challenges.

FoodDrinkEurope also acknowledges the European Parliament’s call for the completion of the Single Market, removing obstacles to the free movement of food and drink products. This is central to tackling the fragmentation of the current EU market, ensuring manufacturers can operate across the Union’s 27 member states. It is also essential to ensuring food companies, both large and small, can compete for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in line with the objectives of the EU 2020 Strategy.

Speaking following the vote, FoodDrinkEurope President, Jesús Serafín Pérez, commented: “European food and drink manufacturers welcome the report on a more efficient and fairer retail market. It is positive to see that the European Parliament recognises the importance of food in the retail sector, calls for the completion of the Single Market and considers solutions to unfair practices within the sector. This has to be seen as a positive step in the right direction and FoodDrinkEurope now seeks an effective Europe-wide solution going forward to address manifestly unfair commercial practices.”

(1) http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/retail/docs/working_document_en.pdf

For further information:
Lisa McCooey, Communications Director
Tel. +32 2 514 11 11, Mob. +32 476 911 300
l.mccooey@fooddrinkeurope.eu

FoodDrinkEurope represents the food and drink industries of Europe – the largest manufacturing sector in the EU in terms of turnover and employment. FoodDrinkEurope’s mission is to represent the food and drink industries interests, at the level of European and international institutions, in order to contribute to the development of a legislative and economic framework addressing the competitiveness of industry, food quality and safety, consumer protection and respect for the environment. The membership of FoodDrinkEurope is made up of 26 national federations, including 3 observers, 26 European sector associations and 19 major food and drink companies. For more information on FoodDrinkEurope, visit: www.fooddrinkeurope.eu.