Advice of the Belgian Competition Authority on Legal Price Fixing Measures in Favour of the Agricultural Sector: a Renewed Balance between Agricultural Policy and Competition Rules?

The Belgian legislator presented three legislative proposals to strengthen the economic position of the agricultural sector vis-à-vis the wholesale buyers and distributors. The legislator consequently asked the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) to give an urgency advice on these legislative proposals. On 4 April 2024, the BCA rendered the requested advice. The advice offers interesting insight on the applicability of the EU competition rules on the production of and trade in agricultural products and the possibility for legal price fixing in favour of the agricultural sector, in times of particular turmoil in this sector.