21 February 2018: Meat production and sale in Martinique
The Autorité de la concurrence approves the commitments made by the inter-professional association
for the meat sector in Martinique to guarantee non-discriminatory access to the association,
and subsequently, access to European aid.
Practices denounced
The SICA Madras cooperative and Producteurs agricoles et de la mer associés (PRAMA) association lodged a complaint with the Autorité de la concurrence to denounce the criteria and accession procedure to the Martiniquan inter-professional association for the meat, cattle and milk sector (AMIV). They had also requested interim measures.
Accession to the inter-professional association, a required condition for access to European aid and a necessary condition for downstream opportunities
The investigation services noted that the accession criteria (effective activity, representativeness and specialization) for AMIV, the only inter-professional association in Martinique in the livestock breeding and meat sector, were neither objective nor transparent and that their application could be discriminatory.
However, belonging to AMIV is a sine qua non condition to qualify for European aid regarding the structuring of livestock farming, which is a vital support in pursuit of profitable meat production activity in Martinique. Accession to the inter-professional association is also very important to enhance the downstream opportunities for Martiniquan breeders.
The accepted commitments
In response to these competition concerns, AMIV offered commitments which were subject to consultation (market test) and then further improved them at the request of the Autorité.
AMIV committed to modify the accession procedure and criteria to become an active member of the association (specification of the procedure to file an application, rules for the time limits to examine accession application, obligation to justify its accession acceptance or refusal decisions, specification of the representativeness, activity and specialization criteria). It also committed to create a new active member status, which will enable membership for candidates who desire eligibility for European aid, without participation in the inter-professional activities.
Further, the commitments’ structure takes into account the announcement - by the administrations heard during the procedure – of a reform which could soon withdraw AMIV’s responsibility to attribute European aid and attribute this responsibility to State’s services instead.
These commitments fully respond to the competition concerns of the Autorité which accepted them and made them mandatory.
> See the text of Decision 18-D-04 of 21 February 2018 regarding practices implemented in the sector of meat production and sale in Martinique
> Press contact: Chloé Duretête +33 1 55 04 01 20 / Email