On August 24, at the Agra International Agriculture and Food Fair in Gornja Radgona, the Ombudsman for Relations in the Food Supply Chain, Branko Ravnik, organized a high-profile and well-attended international conference titled "On the Path to a Fair Food Supply Chain," in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Slovenian Competition Protection Agency (SCPA).
Andrej Matvoz, Director of SCPA, attended the conference and noted that, as an individual, he understands the plight of farmers as well as milk producers and processors; the challenges of the capitalist world are not limited to the dairy industry - though the latter was highlighted at the conference due to the steadily falling milk purchase prices seen in recent months. "However, as the director of the competition protection agency, I am pleased to observe that things are evidently working, as no unfair trading practices are detected in this area and matters are being regulated by market mechanisms, as is appropriate. Nevertheless, at the AVK, we still perceive a so-called 'fear factor' regarding unfair trading practices, as we receive very few - or almost no - reports. We encourage all market participants to report any irregularities in the food supply chain, and we can promise that all reports - which may be submitted anonymously - will be treated confidentially, just as we have handled them in the past. Reports can also be submitted to the Ombudsman for Relations in the Food Supply Chain," said Matvoz.
At the consultation, the Director of SCPA addressed Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair trading practices, noting that so-called "grey areas" do not work in Slovenia; rather, effectiveness is found only where matters are defined or involve strict prohibitions. In his view, there is no need to expand the list of prohibited practices; out of the 27 types of prohibited conduct, SCPA primarily focuses its oversight on three or four areas - specifically, ensuring appropriate payment terms for goods and verifying that contracts between suppliers and buyers are properly documented in writing (a requirement that farmers and suppliers themselves must also understand). Andrej Matvoz also called for legislative adjustments to ensure the law is fully refined, as SCPA decisions are frequently challenged in court. At the same time, he urged suppliers to operate efficiently - a prerequisite for success - noting that SCPA steps in only subsequently to address prohibited and unfair practices in specific areas.
The consultation in Gornja Radgona was also attended by Elisabeth Werner, Director-General for Agriculture and Rural Development at the European Commission; Minister of Agriculture Janez Cigler Kralj; Mojca Erjavec, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture; and Suzana Lara Krause, Acting Director General of the Directorate for Food and Fisheries; Doris Hold, Director of the Austrian Office for a Fair Food Supply Chain; Barbara Jeannot (via video link), Deputy Head of the Unfair Trading Practices Division at the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food; and Dr. Tatjana Zagorc, Director of the Chamber of Agricultural and Food Enterprises. Participants in the round-table discussion - which addressed the challenges facing the dairy supply chain in Slovenia - included Food Supply Chain Ombudsman Branko Ravnik, as well as Andrej Korošec, a young farmer from Spodnja Brežnica near Poljčane; Karmen Sadek Pučnik, Director of the Slovenska Bistrica Agricultural Cooperative; Vinko But, Director of Mlekarna Celeia; and Jernej Rozina, Director of Fresh Product Categories at Mercator.
You can watch the entire event at the following link: www.youtube.com/watch