Debate on the Revision of the UTPs Directive

Scope and Objectives

On Tuesday 1 December, from 10:00-13:00 CEST, the EESC's Permanent Group on Sustainable Food Systems is hosting a debate, during its 3rd annual meeting, on the upcoming revision of the Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) Directive. This discussion will feed into the EESC's forthcoming opinion on the Commission's revision of the UTPs Directive. 

The debate will gather views from EESC Members, representative of the European Commission, and representatives of civil society.  

The event will be livestreamed and freely available on this website, with interpretation in EN/FR/ES. 

Context 

The Unfair Trading Practices Directive was introduced to protect agricultural and food suppliers from unfair practices by buyers and aims to address power asymmetries in the supply chain, which often leave primary producers vulnerable. The EESC evaluation report, adopted March 2025, assessed the functioning of the UTPs Directive with a focus on its scope, on stronger enforcement, and on better harmonisation across Member States. The European Commission's upcoming revision of the Directive reopens the discussion on these issues. In preparation for the EESC's forthcoming opinion on the Commission's legislative proposal on the Revision of the UTPs Directive, the Permanent Group on Sustainable Food Systems is collecting the views and expectations of civil society representatives, so as to inform the work of the rapporteurs.