Contrast of unfair trade practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain: An overview from the vitivinicultural perspective
Abstract
According to the Directive EU 2019/633, European Union settled a minimum harmonised framework of rules to ensure the prohibitions of unfair commercial practices in business to business relationship of agrifood sector. The bans on unfair trade practices were adopted because it is well known that significant imbalances in bargaining power are quite frequent between suppliers and buyers of agricultural and food products. Such practices may, for example, impose a significant imbalance of rights and obligations on one trading partner and are likely to have a negative impact on the living standards of the agricultural community. The paper analyses the Directive, some national implementing measures and some possible future evolutions of these rules from the perspective of the vitivinicultural sector considering the different actors of the value chain from the vineyard to the distribution of bottles (retailers or food caterers). The paper would approach these measures as an example of how governments can favour value chains and a resilient business model.
DOI:
Publication date: 22/09/2025
Issue: 46th World Congress of Vine and Wine
Type: Oral
Authors
1 Ispettorato centrale della tutela della qualità e repressione frodi dei prodotti agroalimentari – Ministero dell’agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste, Via Quintino Sella, 42 – 00187 Roma