Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

I appreciate that. Will the Minster acknowledge in respect of food labelling that there is no willingness on the part of certain EU countries to proceed with a change to the country of origin labelling regime in operation at present, because it would materially affect their trade and the issue of substantial transformation? If there were a real political initiative at EU level in respect of this issue, the Government and the Green Party would be shouting about it from the rooftops. Let us not be disingenuous about it.

I refer to the Competition Act. I appreciate the Spanish EU Presidency is taking initiatives in respect of this issue but there is already a considerable body of law on the Irish Statute Book. Will the Minister acknowledge that the Competition Act 2002, which incorporates the treaty on the functioning of the EU, prohibits agreements and concerted practices which have as their "object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition in trade on any goods"? Will the Minister further acknowledge that upon the introduction of the groceries order in December 2005 it was stated that certain unilateral action on the part of non-dominant undertakings in the groceries trade would effectively be legislated for-----

See this speech in context