One step closer to fines

Brussels wants to make it illegal for food and drink multinationals to sell inferior versions of well-known brands to customers in eastern Europe. An EU directive banning so-called "dual food" was announced on Wednesday following longstanding complaints from member states in central and eastern Europe, Slovakia included. According to Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Gabriela Matečná Slovakia is one step closer to being able to impose fines for double standards in foodstuff quality. "When I presented the results of our first tests at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers round a year ago and I launched a campaign against double standards in quality in the EU, only a few believed that this fight for consumers could be won." The new legislative changes are still to be approved by most member states in the Council of the EU and the European Parliament will discuss them, too.