Unfair trading practices in the food supply chain
It is high time to restore the balance in the food supply chain. We want to make sure that small farmers and retailers operate in a fair and healthy trading environment and that no abusive or unfair practice is tolerated. We welcome the Commission proposal and are ready to work constructively with the European Parliament to have the directive adopted as soon as possible. - Rumen Porodzanov, minister of agriculture, food and forestry of the Republic of Bulgaria and president of the Council
Ministers had a first exchange of views on the Commission proposal for a directive on unfair trading practices in the food supply chain. The proposal aims to ban the more damaging unfair trading practices in the food supply chain to ensure fairer treatment for small and medium sized food and farming businesses. The proposal also includes the possibility for national authorities to impose sanctions in cases where there is proof of abusive practices.
Food losses and food waste
Ministers had an exchange of views on the issue of food losses and food waste, with a view to assessing the progress made in the implementation of the Council conclusions agreed in June 2016.
Ministers outlined the measures already taken at national level and agreed that more needs to be done to reduce waste and losses, including agreeing on a common way of assessing the scale of the problem. They restated their firm commitment to tackle the problem.
It is not acceptable that one third of all the food that we produce is lost or wasted before it reaches our tables. Especially in a world where there are more and more people to be fed. Today the Council restated its commitment to tackle this problem in line with its conclusions of June 2016. - Rumen Porodzanov, minister of agriculture, food and forestry of the Republic of Bulgaria and president of the Council
Multi-annual plan for fish stocks in the western waters
The Commission presented to the Council its proposal for a multi-annual plan for fish stocks in the Western waters. The proposal, which is intended to restore and maintain demersal stocks at sustainable levels, concerns the fleets of Belgium, Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and the UK in the Atlantic Ocean.
Other topics on the agenda
Ministers were also informed about:
- the legal interpretation of the landing obligation in the Common Fisheries Policy
- the outcome of a TAIEX workshop on the role of wildlife in animal health
- the state of play in the fight against African swine fever, and
- the Commission proposal for a regulation on the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain
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