V4 authorises Fico to discuss double food standards with EU

Budapest, 2017. július 4. Orbán Viktor magyar (b) és Robert Fico szlovák miniszterelnök a visegrádi országok (V4) miniszterelnökeinek találkozóján tartott sajtótájékoztatón a Pesti Vigadóban 2017. július 4-én. MTI Fotó: Koszticsák Szilárd

Prime ministers of the Visegrad Group countries have given authorisation to Slovak PM Robert Fico to discuss with European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker next Thursday complaints concerning inferior quality food products distributed by western companies in the region.

Speaking after talks with his V4 counterparts and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Budapest on Wednesday, Fico said that V4 people felt like “second-rate citizens” due to the “dual quality” of products, which he said contributed to growing mistrust of the EU.

Bohuslav Sobotka, the Czech premier, said that rules should be changed at the European level. “We do not companies supplying different quality to each member state,” he said, adding that his counterparts shared his position.

Polish PM Beata Szydlo said that the V4 would also enter into negotiations concerning employees on foreign missions, and that the group had also written a letter to the Italian prime minister on the subject of the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.

Photo: MTI

European Union food Slovakia Visegrád Four