AIM, the European Brands Association, supports the European Commission’s proposed Regulation to strengthen cross-border enforcement of unfair trading practices (UTPs) in the agri-food and consumer goods sectors. This initiative aims to close enforcement gaps, particularly in cases involving European retail alliances (ERAs), ensuring fairer competition and greater supply chain resilience.
AIM welcomes the mutual assistance mechanism, which will enhance cooperation between national authorities, standardise procedures, and ensure stricter UTP rules apply across borders. Given the growing influence of ERAs, AIM also calls for stronger oversight to prevent market distortions and protect consumer choice.
Beyond this Regulation, AIM advocates revisions to the UTP Directive to expand supplier protections, clarify extraterritorial enforcement, and prohibit self-preferencing in physical retail, aligning with Digital Markets Act rules for online platforms.
AIM further proposes clarifying that national UTP laws qualify as “overriding mandatory provisions,” allowing cross-border enforcement even where some Member States apply stricter rules. This would close loopholes that enable buyers to exploit regulatory differences, ensuring consistent supplier protections.
A stronger, more harmonised enforcement framework will benefit businesses of all sizes, enhance EU competitiveness, and create a fairer, more dynamic marketplace for consumers.
Click here to read the full position paper.
