Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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464. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to make a submission to the European Commission based on its recent Green Paper publication on unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food and non-food supply chain in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34930/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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On 31 January 2013, the EU Commission published a Green Paper on Unfair Commercial Trading Practices in the Business to Business (B2B) food and non-food supply chain in Europe. In response to this Green Paper, my Department submitted a copy of the report of the facilitator appointed in 2010 to explore, with the relevant stakeholders, the possibilities of achieving agreement on a Voluntary Code of Practice for Grocery Goods Undertakings. This report is available on my Department's website at www.djei.ie/publications/commerce/2011/reportgrocerycodemay11.pdf.

As the Deputy is aware, the Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to enact legislation to regulate certain practices in the grocery goods sector. I intend to give effect to this commitment by including an enabling provision in the Consumer and Competition Bill. This Bill will also, inter alia, merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority, update and reform competition law on foot of a review of the operation and implementation of the Competition Act 2002 and give effect to the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers. Work on drafting the Consumer and Competition Bill is on-going and the Bill is included in the "A list" in the Government's current Legislative Programme.

The Government is strongly of the view that it is important to ensure there is balance in the relationship between the various players in the grocery goods sector and that Ireland continues to have robust agri food and retail sectors, particularly given the importance of these sectors to the national economy. The introduction of a Code of Practice is intended to achieve such a balance taking into account the interests of all stakeholders in the grocery goods sector including the interests of the consumer and the need to ensure that there is no impediment to the passing-on of lower prices to consumers.