Matecna: EC Postpones Effects of Law on Special Levy for Retail Chains

Bratislava, April 2 (TASR) - The European Commission on Tuesday issued an injunction to suspend the law on a special levy for retail chains in Slovakia, Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matecna (Slovak National Party/SNS) told a news conference on Tuesday with MP Eva Antosova (SNS) and the ministry's food and trade department general director Milan Lapsansky in attendance. Matecna stressed that this is a non-standard measure that has been applied less than ten times in the history of the European Union (EU). Retail chains lobbyists informed the public about the exact date of the postponement around six weeks ago, but no EC decision has been available to Slovakia until now and the reasons haven't been explained. "Today, we obtained information that the EC is imposing an injunction on the special levy and will start examining it. The effects of the special law for retail chains will thus be postponed. Retail chains will pay no money to Slovak farmers or food producers. It takes years for the EC to make decisions in the case of problems such as dual food-quality standards or unfair practices by retail chains. However, when a levy is concerned and the Commission is protecting the large, rich and strong, it's able to send a reaction to Slovakia in an incredible three working days. No reasoning from the EC is available to us as to why it is doing this. The EC takes its time if consumers are concerned, but it's very prompt if rich firms are at stake," claimed Matecna. Matecna also objected to the apparent foreknowledge of the aforementioned lobbyists and said that she will take steps to discover how this was possible. "I'll object very strongly to such behaviour and will ask the EC to launch an enquiry ... We'll subsequently publish this information," said the minister. "At the same time I'd like to inform the public that food prices are going down as of Monday. As the media, opposition and analysts has informed the public that the levy, which hasn't yet been paid by anybody, has increased food prices, I publicly call on all retail chains to reduce food prices by the same amount immediately. If prices don't go down, the media, the opposition and analysts will be guilty of misleading the public and spreading false alarms," said Matecna. Parliament on December 13, 2018, broke President Andrej Kiska's veto and approved the law on a special levy of 2.5 percent of net turnover for retail chains, which was sponsored by governing SNS MPs, in its original wording. The thus came into effect in Slovakia as of January 1, 2019. ko/df