Prague, Feb 27 (CTK) – Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka proposes that a European Commission’s representative attend the forthcoming planned Visegrad Four’s (V4) summit on the different quality of food supplied to shops in West and East Europe initiated by Slovakia, he wrote in a press release yesterday.
The extraordinary summit was announced by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced last week.
Sobotka explained his proposal saying the Commission and EU agriculture ministers could quickly submit specific proposals for a solution.
Sobotka wrote that the summit will be held in Warsaw on Thursday.
In addition to the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, the V4 also includes Hungary.
The convocation of the summit was initiated by Bratislava.
Slovak offices have released the results of laboratory tests of foods, according to which supranational food firms often supply to Slovakia products whose quality is lower than those of the same brands in the neighbouring Austria.
Sobotka wrote yesterday that the Czech Republic is one of the countries that alert to the double quality of food in the EU.
He wrote that it is unacceptable that citizens of one country are offered goods of the same brand and in the same packaging in a dramatically different quality.
“There should only be one quality across the EU for all, and it should be the top quality,” Sobotka wrote.
He wrote that the Czech Republic has already debated the issue with the European Commission and that it tabled the theme at the agriculture council as well.
Sobotka also wants to discuss in Warsaw a joint V4 position before the EU summit in Rome in March, he told journalists after yesterday’s government meeting.
The summit, which will be held on the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome, which form a basis of European integration, is to approve a Rome declaration on the future of the European Union.
In the above tests, Slovak offices compared more than 20 products of the same brand and name bought in Bratislava and in Austria.
According to the Slovak Agriculture Ministry, particularly non-alcoholic beverages, spices, teas and meat products sold in Slovakia were of a poorer quality. They had a lower share of meat, a higher share of fats, artificial sweeteners, many artificial preservatives and a lower weight.
At least two firms have dismissed the test results and the method applied in them.
