Press release
Minister McConalogue addresses Unfair Trading Practices Enforcement Authority seminar
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, this morning addressed over 300 attendees, both in-person and online, at the Unfair Trading Practices Enforcement Authority’s Breakfast Seminar: ‘Ensuring Fair Trading in the Agri-Food Supply Chain’.
The Minister stated that the department’s UTP Enforcement Authority, utilising the powers he approved last year under the Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Regulations, had his full support in its efforts to remove the unfairness from trading practices in the food supply chain. The Minister also endorsed the approach the Enforcement Authority has taken in terms of developing a culture of compliance with the UTP Regulations through targeted engagement with the largest entities in agricultural and food products supply chain.
The Minister highlighted the publication by the Enforcement Authority of a 6-point checklist which he stated:
"is a simple resource for all businesses that purchase agricultural and food products to help them take all necessary measures to ensure compliance with the UTP Regulations."
The Minister welcomed the findings of phone/online surveys commissioned by the Enforcement Authority stating that:
"they provide a baseline level of awareness and information on a number of very important issues that has never before been captured.”
In relation to the survey findings that suppliers might be concerned about coming forward to making complaints on unfair trading practices due the ‘fear factor’ of larger buyers, the Minister stated that:
"The Enforcement Authority will ensure, that any threat or act of retaliation by a buyer arising from a supplier exercising their legal right to make a complaint will result in the strongest possible sanctions against that buyer.”
The Unfair Trading Practices Enforcement Authority (EA) Breakfast Seminar: Ensuring Fair Trading in the Agri-Food Supply Chain was held in Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Co. Kildare on 5 May 2022.
The seminar, which was held in-person and which was also live streamed to registered attendees, marked the first anniversary of the signing of the Unfair Trading Practice (UTP) Regulations by the Minister.
At the Seminar, the department’s Enforcement Authority outlined the work it has undertaken since establishment and highlighted to buyers and suppliers of agri-food products their respective obligations and rights under the Regulations. The seminar also communicated the main findings of the recent online/phone UTP surveys where primary producers and supplier businesses were asked about unfair trading practice related issues they face within the food supply chain.
The Enforcement Authority also published today its Enforcement Policy to help inform buyers of agricultural and food produce how UTP law is enforced as well as the details of the main findings of the recent surveys where primary producers and supplier businesses were asked about unfair trading practice related issues they face within the food supply chain.
The Enforcement Authority has established a dedicated website – www.utp.gov.ie – where all recently published documents can be accessed and contains other useful resource materials, contact details and an online complaints submission form where suppliers can submit a complaint in confidence to the Authority.
A buyer business checklist for the unfair trading practices (UTP) regulations is available below:
