The European Parliament has responded to the communication by the European Commission on Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs). They’ve send a strong message to upgrade the current fig leaf and get real on UTPs. Friends of the Earth Malta together with a coalition of 29 NGOs united in the Supply Cha!nge project now look forward to see a bold step forward by the European Commission.

Stefan Grasgruber-Kerl, spokesperson for the Supply Cha!nge project: “Today’s vote shows that the European Parliament wants to see fairer trade relations between Europe and the Global South. Now it is the task of the European Commission to finally take steps to draft a binding directive to protect farm workers and small holder farmers from the increased and by now huge power of supermarkets and multinational food companies over the supply chain. The European Parliament vote is in line with the petitions of the Make Fruit Fair and Supply Cha!nge campaigns, where 61.000 Europeans said that they are against the currently dominant unfair trading practices.”

Friends of the Earth Malta welcomes the fact that the European Parliament has accepted that the Supply Chain Initiative is not enough to eradicate Unfair Trading Practices from the food supply chain. The plenary vote at the European Parliament of the Czesak’ report was successful according to our demands. We celebrate that MEPs have sent a clear message to the European Commission, highlighting that the issue of private-own brands requires particular attention from the Commission and competition authorities.”

For further information:

On the SC project: http://supplychainge.org/the-project-eu/?L=eu

Stefan Grasgruber-Kerl, spokesperson for the Supply Cha!nge project stefan.grasgruber-kerl@suedwind.at +43 699 100 400 79