Competition Law Update: Grocery Goods Regulations Introduced In Ireland

With effect from 30 April 2016, Ireland has introduced a new set of laws regulating the legal relationship between suppliers of food and beverage foodstuffs to certain wholesalers and retailers of those goods.

Since 2006, the Irish Government has in various ways sought to better regulate the legal relationship between suppliers of foodstuffs and those undertakings that sell them. This arises from a perception of an imbalance in the bargaining positions of the parties. The Consumer Protection Act 2007 (Grocery Goods Undertakings) Regulations 2016 (“Regulations”) were introduced to better balance that relationship.

Scope of the Regulations

The Regulations apply to "grocery goods contracts" which are contracts between: (i) a supplier of food and beverage products that are intended to be sold for human consumption; and (ii) wholesalers and retailers of those goods. The Regulations do not apply to suppliers of other goods and only apply if the wholesaler or retailer