|
EU INVESTIGATION OF SUPERMARKETS |
|
|
 14th October 2007
Call to protect Gloucestershire farmers, jobs and the environment
Failures to curb the powers of supermarkets in Britain has led Greens
to renew calls on the EU to investigate the impact of the supermarket
sector on farmers, small shops, jobs, communities – and the environment.
Martin Whiteside, the Green party's Parliamentary candidate in Stroud said: "Our Government seems to facilitate the ever-increasing power of supermarkets rather than challenging it. This is bad for Gloucestershire farmers, jobs and the environment. Indeed across the EU grocery markets are now dominated by a handful of large supermarkets, which can lead to higher prices and less consumer choice."
Finland is worst affected, with just five companies enjoying more than 90 per cent of the country’s grocery sector. In the UK the four largest supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco – together now account for about 75% of all grocery sales at supermarkets and convenience stores. Three UK supermarkets control almost 25% of the UK’s clothing market between them – and this is growing rapidly, forcing smaller retailers out of business.
Martin Whiteside said: "Greens are calling for action Europe-wide. There is increasing evidence that suggests big supermarkets abuse their buying power to force down prices paid by farmers and suppliers – both within the EU and in the developing world - to an unsustainable level and impose unfair conditions on them."
Dr Caroline Lucas, Green MEP has launched a Written Declaration – the Brussels’ Parliament’s equivalent of an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons – demanding the EU Commission examine whether supermarkets abuse their dominance, and propose tough new rules to protect rural economies and the environment.
Caroline Lucas, who was recently voted Politician of the Year by Observer readers, said: “The European Commission must investigate the sector further and propose appropriate measures to deal with any abuses it finds – protecting our already beleaguered and usually under-rewarded farmers, the environment and rural communities.”
The Written Declaration is sponsored by four other MEPs: Hungarian Socialist Gyula Hegyi, Polish Nationalist Junusz Wojciechowski, French Socialist Harlem Desir and French Green Helene Flautre. If it attracts the support of half the EU’s 785 MEPs it becomes the official policy of the European Parliament – and will be formally passed to the European Commission for action.
Notes to Editors:
• The Written Declaration is available in full at
www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk/writtendeclarations
• More information is available from the Agribusiness Accountability Initiative at: www.agribusinessaccountability.org and the Responsible Purchasing Initiative at www.responsible-purchasing.org
|
Home 
News 
Green New Deal Report 