Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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835. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the establishment of an independent statutory body will be considered tasked with enforcing the provisions of the EU directive on unfair trading practices in the agricultural and food supply chain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5520/20]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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840. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider establishing an independent statutory body tasked with enforcing the provisions of the EU directive on unfair trading practices in the agricultural and food supply chain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5596/20]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 835 and 840 together.

Directive (EU) 2019/633 on Unfair Trading Practices in Business-to-Business Relationships in the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain (UTP Directive), came into force on 30 April 2019.  EU Law requires that the Directive must be transposed into national law by 1 May 2021.

The UTP Directive provides a minimum Union standard of protection to suppliers, including farmers, in the agricultural and food supply chain against certain specific unfair trading practises and requires the designation of an Enforcement Authority to discharge the duties of the UTP Directive. The Enforcement Authority can be a new or existing entity.

A stakeholder consultation process was held in December 2019 which invited submissions from interested parties on the transposition and enforcement of the EU Directive, including on the form the Enforcement Authority should take. Some 657 responses were received.  These responses are currently being analysed.  A decision on the designation of the Enforcement Agency will be made in due course.