Kadis welcomes passage of law on unfair commercial practices for agricultural products and food

The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, Costas Kadis, welcomed with great satisfaction his vote on the Unfair Commercial Practices in the Supply Chain of Agricultural Products and Food Law of 2021

In a written statement on Friday, Mr. Kadis pointed out that the law is expected to contribute greatly to tackling a phenomenon that works to the detriment of the rural world and consumers, thus contributing to a fairer supply chain of agricultural products and food.

He added that "the State now targets commercial activities between two or more trading parties, which deviate from good commercial behavior and are contrary to good faith and business ethics."

"In this context, the new Law can address practices that in recent years have become serious in our country, such as unilateral and retroactive contract amendments, last minute cancellations, late payments, returns for unsold products and other actions that affect those involved in the chain of production and distribution of agricultural products and food ", he pointed out.

He said that "the phenomenon of Unfair Commercial Practices in the agricultural sector, brings serious negative consequences to the farmer, such as loss of income, higher production costs than estimated, difficulties in production planning, overproduction of products and waste of food. The phenomenon, however, limits both the purchasing power and the choices of consumers, as it is not a problem exclusively "agricultural" but concerns all sectors of the economy and affects all households, with social and economic implications. "

He pointed out that “the seriousness of the problem is proven by its legal regulation at European level, with the issuance of Directive (EU) 2019/633. In Cyprus, however, at the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, from 2018, a relevant research and detailed recording of Unfair Commercial Practices located in the agricultural sector of our country and adversely affecting the country had already been carried out through the Agricultural Research Institute. Cypriot producer and the Cypriot consumer ”.

According to Mr. Kadis, “the findings of this research were taken into account in the formulation of the Bill passed yesterday by the House of Representatives in Law, with the clear aim of eliminating the negative effects of these practices on the incomes and benefits of both farmers and and consumers ”.

Mr. Kadis warmly thanked the officials of the Ministry who contributed to the preparation of the relevant bill, the agricultural organizations and other involved bodies, who contributed with their constructive views to its enrichment, as well as the members of the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament for the final configuration. which led to its unanimous vote. "Another of our important policies goes from the stage of announcement, to the stage of implementation", concluded the Minister of Agriculture.

(KYPE / MK / AGK)