Spain: CNMC releases report on Best Practices Code for the food industry

Spain’s CNMC issued its report on the recently passed Code of Best Practices for Food Contracting. The law regulates best practices for all operators in the food sector, regarding preparation, principles and the regulation of commercial practices.

The regulating agency has had a particularly active role in the analysis of the agro-food sector through various studies and reports, as well as a number of probes and sanctions. Regarding the Code in question the CNMC issued a series of recommended requirements to the law, which chould be treated as a self-regulating document. Among its recommendations the agency highlights:

Not including any clauses likely to restrict free competition; Free and voluntary adherence to the rules, avoiding discrimination and the establishment of undue obstacles to entry; and effective, compulsory conflict resolution and supervision programmes, including an independent organism with the necessary technical capability.

The commission concludes with a reminder, that the priority must be to reduce the risk of a drop in competitive vigour among operators, including possible direct or indirect price-fixing or the bending of the current code. This, the CNMC argues, with the aim of improving competition in the sector and consequently benefiting consumers and the public at large

Source: CNMC

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