Three Italian MEPs from the Socialists and Democrats group have asked the European Commission whether it plans to ban electronic double-down reverse auctions in the upcoming revision of the EU's unfair trading practices directive, warning that such auctions are driving down prices paid to agricultural producers. In a written parliamentary question dated 10 July 2026, Dario Nardella, Camilla Laureti and Stefano Bonaccini describe a recent case in which a European central purchasing body acting for six large retailers secured 15,000 tonnes of processed tomatoes – mainly from Italian suppliers – via an electronic double-down reverse auction. The contract was awarded at a price equal to one-fifth of the starting price, they say.
The MEPs note that Italy outlawed such auctions in 2021 when transposing Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair business-to-business trading practices in the food supply chain, because they artificially depress prices and hurt the weakest links in the supply chain. The question asks whether the Commission is aware that cross-border central purchasing bodies are using these auctions, whether the current legal framework – Directive 2019/633 and Regulation (EU) 2026/697 on enforcement cooperation – effectively enforces prohibitions across borders, and whether the planned revision of the directive will include a ban on electronic double-down reverse auctions to ensure uniform protection for agricultural producers and prevent regulatory arbitrage.
The question signals the MEPs' concern that divergent national rules allow retailers to circumvent stricter national bans by purchasing through central bodies based in other member states. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will indicate whether it sees a need to harmonise rules on reverse auctions in the upcoming revision of the 2019 directive. The issue pits the interests of agricultural producers – who seek price floors and protection from aggressive purchasing tactics – against those of large retailers and central purchasing bodies, who argue that competitive auctions lower costs for consumers and improve supply chain efficiency.