Food industry calls on government to speed up introduction of grocery code
Lobby group Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII) is calling on the Government to speed up the introduction of a statutory code of practice for the grocery sector.
The FDII will meet with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Simon Coveney today and the group hopes to stress the urgent need for the legislation.
The organisation says the code, which aims to bring balance and fairness between suppliers and retailers, has been promised by Government, but the required legislation has not yet been finalised.
"Across Europe, authorities are taking steps to better regulate trading relationships to stop large retailers making unfair demands of suppliers," FDII director Paul Kelly said.
"The government said legislation to introduce an Irish code would be published in the final quarter of 2012, but we are still waiting.
"The introduction of this code is critical for the sustainability of the Irish agri-food and grocery sectors and its ability to provide high-quality Irish products, choice and convenience to the Irish consumer at fair prices," he added.
"The code must be properly enforced by an objective adjudicator with powers of investigation.”
