Myriam Vander Stichele

1
Myriam Vander Stichele

• Senior Researcher
• SOMO (Foundation for Research on Multinational
  Corporations),
• Netherlands

2
NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM

• Competition policy market abuse for consumers
  only?
• Challenging the agenda of competition authorities
  at EU level
• New and academic interest and research

3
SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW THE PROBLEM CAN BE DEALT
WITH

• EXISTING COMPETITION POLICY INSTRUMENTS
• UK Supermarket Code of Practice
• France Loi Galland pricing regulation
• Indonesia Business Competition Supervisory
  Commission
• South Korea The Korea Fair Trade Commission
• US legislation allows cartels for farmers
• South Africa competition policies include social
  objectives

4
2. RELATED INSTRUMENTS AND MEASURES

• Legislation about below-cost selling and
  predatory pricing
• In India contract law
• NB United Nations Convention on Contracts for the
  International Sale of Goods (CISG)
• economic needs tests

5
SOME STEPS FORWARD

• OECD forum to discuss the issues
• EU level
• EC
• European Competition Network

6
Recommendations at EU level

• More investigation of Supermarkets operating in
  many EU countries including pro-active
  investigation about buyer power
• Explore legislation that allows farmers to get
  fair prices

7
Role for EP Development Committee

• Issue of coherence aid vs money spent for trade
• Issue of making trade work
• Raising the issue with different DGs of EC