BETA


2008/2044(DCE) Declaration on investigating and remedying abuse of power by large supermarkets operating in the European Union

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 136

Events

2008/02/19
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The European Parliament adopted a Written Declaration put forward by Caroline LUCAS (Greens/ALE, UK), Gyula HEGYI (PES, HU), Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI (UEN, PL), Harlem DESIR (PES, FR) et Hélène FLAUTRE (Greens/ALE, FR) on investigating and remedying abuse of power by large supermarkets operating in the European Union.

Members consider that, throughout the EU, retailing is increasingly dominated by a small number of supermarket chains. These retailers are fast becoming "gatekeepers", controlling farmers’ and other suppliers’ only real access to EU consumers. Evidence from across the EU suggests large supermarkets are abusing their buying power to force down prices paid to suppliers (based both within and outside the EU) to unsustainable levels and impose unfair conditions upon them. Parliament feels that such squeezes on suppliers have negative knock-on effects on both quality of employment and environmental protection. Consumers potentially face a loss in diversity of products, cultural heritage and retail outlets. Parliament notes that some Member States have introduced legislation attempting to limit such abuse, yet large supermarkets increasingly operate across national borders, making EU legislation desirable.

Parliament goes on to do the following ;

it calls on DG Competition to investigate the impact that the concentration of the EU supermarket sector is having on small businesses, suppliers, workers and consumers and, in particular, to assess any abuses of buying power which may follow from such concentration; it requests the Commission to propose appropriate measures, including regulation, to protect consumers, workers and producers from any abuse of a dominant position or other negative impact identified in the course of this investigation.

Documents
2008/02/19
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

events/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2008-54
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2008-0054_EN.html
activities
  • date: 2008-02-19T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2008-54 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0054/2008 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
committees
    events
    • date: 2008-02-19T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2008-54 title: T6-0054/2008 summary: The European Parliament adopted a Written Declaration put forward by Caroline LUCAS (Greens/ALE, UK), Gyula HEGYI (PES, HU), Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI (UEN, PL), Harlem DESIR (PES, FR) et Hélène FLAUTRE (Greens/ALE, FR) on investigating and remedying abuse of power by large supermarkets operating in the European Union. Members consider that, throughout the EU, retailing is increasingly dominated by a small number of supermarket chains. These retailers are fast becoming "gatekeepers", controlling farmers’ and other suppliers’ only real access to EU consumers. Evidence from across the EU suggests large supermarkets are abusing their buying power to force down prices paid to suppliers (based both within and outside the EU) to unsustainable levels and impose unfair conditions upon them. Parliament feels that such squeezes on suppliers have negative knock-on effects on both quality of employment and environmental protection. Consumers potentially face a loss in diversity of products, cultural heritage and retail outlets. Parliament notes that some Member States have introduced legislation attempting to limit such abuse, yet large supermarkets increasingly operate across national borders, making EU legislation desirable. Parliament goes on to do the following ; it calls on DG Competition to investigate the impact that the concentration of the EU supermarket sector is having on small businesses, suppliers, workers and consumers and, in particular, to assess any abuses of buying power which may follow from such concentration; it requests the Commission to propose appropriate measures, including regulation, to protect consumers, workers and producers from any abuse of a dominant position or other negative impact identified in the course of this investigation.
    • date: 2008-02-19T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure EP 136
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 136
      procedure/subject
      Old
      • 2.60.01 Trade restrictions, concerted practices, dominant positions
      • 2.60.04 Economic concentration, mergers, takeover bids, holding companies
      New
      2.60.01
      Trade restrictions, concerted practices, dominant positions
      2.60.04
      Economic concentration, mergers, takeover bids, holding companies
      procedure/title
      Old
      Declaration on investigating and remedying abuse of power by large supermarkets operating in the European Union
      New
      Declaration on investigating and remedying abuse of power by large supermarkets operating in the European Union
      procedure/type
      Old
      DCE - Written declaration
      New
      DCE - Written declaration (historic)
      activities
      • date: 2008-02-19T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2008-54 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0054/2008 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
      committees
        links
        other
          procedure
          reference
          2008/2044(DCE)
          title
          Declaration on investigating and remedying abuse of power by large supermarkets operating in the European Union
          legal_basis
          Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 136
          stage_reached
          Procedure completed
          type
          DCE - Written declaration
          subject