Independent Retail Europe turned 50 years this year and celebrated it yesterday.

Let’s examine  what  their priority issues are for today?

1)Vertical and horizontal competition rules

Certain types of agreements are indispensible to the functioning of groups of independent retailers. They have many pro-competitive effects, undoubtedly benefit consumers. Agreements can include information exchanges, purchasing agreements, agreements on commercialisation and standardisation agreements. These agreements are of a vertical nature, whereby the central organisation acts at a different economic level of the chain compared to the independent retailers. Meanwhile, on a horizontal level, independent retailers of the same group always remain competitors. Due to this dual structure, agreements between groups of independent retailers are subject to the vertical competition Regulation and guidelines but can, depending upon the views of national competition authorities, be subject to horizontal competition guidelines as well.

2)product safety

Members of Independent Retail Europe are deeply committed to ensuring that only safe products are on the market. This is essential for their relationships with customers and their reputation. In order to achieve clear, understandable rules that can easily be implemented and do not constitute an unnecessary burden on SME retailers, Independent Retail Europe is working on the clarification of the obligations of economic actors – especially of distributors.

3)Official control in the in the fields of food safety

Fees paid by supply chain operators are among the tools available to Member States to finance official controls.  As those fees can be significant for groups of independent retailers, Independent Retail Europe advocates that Member States will adopt fee systems that are fair and affordable.

4)european retail action plan

In its European Retail Action Plan, the European Commission acknowledges the importance of groups of independent retailers in the EU retail market.
Independent Retail Europe is working to ensure that when it is implemented, the actions contained in the action plan benefit, and reflect the needs of, groups of independent retailers.

5)business to business trading practices

Independent Retail Europe members are the final link in the supply chain to consumers and will be affected by the policy outcomes of discussions related to supply chain behaviour. Independent Retail Europe’s work is a founding organisation of the Supply Chain Initiative, a voluntary framework that seeks to ensure fair behaviour between different sectors in the food supply chain and sets down obligations (such as training requirements, information requirements and dispute resolution requirements) for those who sign up to it.

 

Simon BRIOT