Cooperation in the international arena

Spain is a pioneer at the level of the European Union in the approval of a law aimed at achieving more equitable commercial relations along the food chain and is one of the Member States with greater control activity.

Community directive on unfair commercial practices

The approval of the Community Directive on unfair commercial practices in the food chain in 2019, led to the amendment in 2021 of Law 12/2013, of 2 August, to grant AICA new functions as a point of contact for cooperation with the European Commission and with the enforcement authorities of other countries of the European Union.

In addition, the directive calls on the Member States' implementing authorities to cooperate to ensure a common approach to its implementation and to provide mutual assistance, for which the Commission organises regular meetings and working groups in which AICA participates.

Annual report
Cooperation with the Commission and the Community Implementing Authorities

On 15 March of each year, AICA and the other enforcement authorities of the other Member States are required to submit to the European Commission an annual report containing information on complaints and investigations carried out during the previous year relating to the practices of the Directive carried out both by AICA and by the enforcement authorities of the autonomous communities, as set out in the Article 10 of Directive (EU) 2019/633 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019, concerning unfair commercial practices in business-to-business relationships in the food and agricultural supply chain.

Within the framework of this collaboration, meetings are being held with the Commission and other Member States in which new cases are discussed, experiences and best practices are exchanged .

AICA actively cooperates with the Commission and other Member States by responding to queries from other authorities and exchanging information regarding the implementation of the Directive with individual States.

Development of Community regulations

AICA participates in the development of Community regulations related to its activity

Evaluation of the Directive
Regulation on Cross-Border Cooperation
Revision of regulations

A significant milestone has been the publication on December 1, 2025 of the Evaluation report on Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair commercial practices in the agri-food chain, by the European Commission.

The assessment confirms that the directive has contributed to improving transparency and reducing unfair practices. However, challenges such as low supplier awareness and differences in implementation between Member States persist.

The Commission has thus initiated the revision of the Directive, which will be accompanied by a full impact assessment, to be carried out throughout 2026. The proposed amendment is expected to be published in the final stretch of 2026.

Spain has collaborated with the Commission through interviews and workshops in which the experience of applying the Directive in our country has been shared. As part of this work, AICA has participated in a study on fair remuneration schemes for farmers, in which he shared his experience in controlling the destruction of value in the chain (prohibition of paying below production costs).

As a result of the exchange of experiences between the different Implementing Authorities of the Member States, of the baggage acquired in the application of Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair commercial practices, and of the need to improve the tools for cooperation, the Regulation (EU) No 2026/697 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2026on cooperation between implementing authorities responsible for ensuring compliance with Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair commercial practices in business-to-business relations in the agricultural and food supply chain.

This regulation, which it shall apply from 10 September 2027, will be a before and after when it comes to investigating unfair practices in cross-border relations, which are so relevant in the agri-food sector, especially for Spain, which exports a large part of its production. AICA has participated in the meetings of the working groups of the Council with a view to adopting a position for this Regulation Once it enters into force, it will be the point of contact for mutual assistance.

On 29 June 2026, the Council definitively adopted Regulation 2026/1739 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending, among others, Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, as part of the package of measures aimed at strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain. This standard represents an important advance in food procurement at EU level. The text can be consulted in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Cooperation with third countries

La Law 12/2013, on measures to improve the functioning of the food chain, establishes in its Article 2 that, when one of the parties to the commercial relationship is established in Spain and the other in a third country, the prohibitions of unfair commercial practices and the sanctioning regime provided for in the Law itself shall apply, regardless of the legislation applicable to the contract.

This framework is complemented by the Regulation (EU) No 2026/697 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cooperation between enforcement authorities responsible for ensuring compliance with Directive (EU) 2019/633, which incorporates specific cooperation mechanisms for cases involving operators established in third countries. In order to ensure the effectiveness of investigations, the regulation provides for coordination measures between enforcement authorities and, in certain cases, the designation of a responsible point of contact in the European Union by buyers established outside the European Union.