Retailers protest against a decree requiring them to sell local produce

The large retail chains in the country on April 14 protested the decree of the government which obliges them to sell Bulgarian products. They came out with a common position in which they considered the decree to be not workable.

The decree was adopted yesterday, April 13, and requires supermarket chains to sell products and other foods produced in their regions, aiming to reduce the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on food producers in the country. The foods included in the decree were milk and dairy products, fresh meat and eggs, fish, seasonal fruit and vegetables and honey.

Yesterday the chains remained silent, but today they reacted and in an angry address stated that the adopted decree was contrary to the Bulgarian and European legislation.

According to them, only the free market and competition best protect the interests of consumers and the economy.

The retailers also say that the fact that they are forced to take additional Bulgarian products does not increase the Bulgarian goods in the retail chains. Thus, the state only redistributes the market among the Bulgarian producers, giving preference to some at the expense of others. In this case, the redistribution of the market is made not on the basis of quality and price of the goods, but depending on the location of the prodicer.

They said that the decree creates an environment for corruption with vague terms such as "adequate space" and "in appropriate manner" that will be interpreted and applied by state officials in the regions without a clear regulatory framework.

The retail chains say that the adopted decree is not workable in practice. Upon its adoption, Minister of Aggriculture, Dessislava Taneva misled her colleagues in the government about its specific content, for example, about 90% of the monopoly on dairy products. And thus the Minister of Agriculture wanted to put on the shelves of the shops products produced by "close to her circles", they claimed.

Minister Taneva told BNT that the position of the retail chains is a personal accusation, a personal war against her.

Desislava Taneva: All the allegations I can bear, they do not matter to me, it is important at the end of this crisis that the farmers have survived and have not thrown away the highest quality Bulgarian produce.

According to Taneva, "the purpose of this government decree is to support small and local producers and their livelihoods."

Vladimir Mihailov, National Association of Milk Processors: We fully support the decision of the Council of Ministers, which supports the Bulgarian producers. From the point of view of why retail chains react so offensively, I cannot answer. I believe that their reaction is not directed in the interest of the Bulgarian society.

Ivan Kaburov, producer of greenhouse products, village of Malo Konare: I personally support the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture, who are trying to establish some order for trade of Bulgarian products. I also support the position of the chains, which, like us, are in a crisis. Nothing will stop the chains if they feel that they can continue sell everything as thay have done so far, but also have a place that is only for Bulgarian products.