Government gives green light for supermarket ombudsman
The Government has given the go-ahead for a supermarket ombudsman to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and impose penalties on grocery retailers who do not comply.
The GSCOP, which sets out best practice for the relationship between large grocery retailers and their suppliers, comes into force on 4 February 2010. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has welcomed the move and said there must be "a proactive and robust enforcement mechanism in place". However, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said the move "is not about farmers" but more about squeezing more money out of supermarkets and consumers.
The full Government announcement can be found at:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file54194.pdf
For more reaction from the NFU go to:
http://www.nfuonline.com/x44677.xml
For more reaction from the BRC go to:
http://www.brc.org.uk/details04.asp?id=1682
