Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will give consideration to the establishment of a food ombudsman here that will arbitrate between parties on issues including the prices being paid to suppliers, processors, retailers and so on, of food products here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6872/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have no plans to introduce a food ombudsman to arbitrate on the enforcement of private contracts between suppliers and retailers as regulation of prices in commercial contracts as opposed to particular commercial practices would not be compatible with the single market.

The programme for Government includes a commitment to enact legislation to regulate certain practices in the grocery goods sector. This is within the remit of my colleague Minister Bruton and work is underway in his Department on including an enabling provision in legislation which is currently being drafted to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority, which would allow for the introduction of a statutory Code of Practice. The intention of such a statutory Code is not to protect one stakeholder over another or to prevent stakeholders from engaging in robust contractual negotiations or to determine the price of grocery goods. Rather the essential value of the Code is that by regulating problematic practices in the grocery goods sector such a Code seeks to strike a fair balance between the competing interests of the various stakeholders including the interests of the end user, the consumer.

At EU level some progress has been made through the High Level Forum on the better functioning of the food supply chain. Stakeholders have agreed on a list of general and specific principles of good practice in commercial relations but so far have not agreed on implementing arrangements or whether there should be a statutory provision. The Commission has extended the term of the Forum to facilitate agreement.