Ms Sinéad McPhillips:

I accept that it is a modest proposal. It is one of a range of proposals that the Commission has brought forward to address issues in the food supply chain. Another of the proposals which I probably only mentioned in passing is an initiative aimed at strengthening the role of producer organisations and trying to extend them to other sectors. The dairy sector is probably the best example of the co-operative movement and the power it gives to farmers who work together in a co-op. Other initiatives brought forward by Commissioner Hogan include measures aimed at improving price transparency along the chain. We have seen the success of that to some extent in the dairy market observatory, which gives a good overview of prices at EU level and by EU member state. It probably does not drill down to the extent we would like but it is better than what was there previously. On the meat side, we have seen the development of price apps nationally and better dashboards at EU level.

In regard to the Senator's point on policing contracts, the point is that some member states do not have any minimal level of unfair trading practice legislation. It would be a very big step for Irish suppliers going into those markets to try to enforce their contract rights under international contract law. Having a directive in place which provides a common EU standard is better than the existing situation for such suppliers.