Spanish Supermarkets Told They Can Ration Food From Thursday To Prevent Shortages

The Spanish government has given supermarkets the green light to start rationing certain food products from Thursday in a move to prevent shortages.

On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved a new raft of measures to combat the surge in the cost of living brought about by rising energy prices, primarily due to the conflict in Ukraine.

The National Response Plan which was published in the Official State Gazette (BOE), includes a number of measures such as a 20 cent reduction in the price of petrol, a cap of 2% on monthly rental increases and a veto on employee layoffs until June 30.

With inflation now at 9.8%, the government is eager to reduce the impact the unprecedented rise in energy prices is having on the finances of Spanish households.

Rationing

Following the recent legislation, it now seems likely that supermarkets could start to limit the sale of specific products to individuals in an attempt to prevent food shortages.

With the new legislative changes, the government will aim to prevent situations such as those witnessed during the transportation worker's strikes where products such as milk and sunflower oil were in short supply with many stores completely running out.

The text of the new decree says: "Exceptionally, when there are extraordinary circumstances or force majeure that justify it, commercial establishments may temporarily suspend the prohibition provided for in section 2 to limit the number of items that can be purchased by each buyer."

The Spanish government previously stipulated that stores "may not limit the number of times that can be purchased by each buyer or establish higher prices or remove reductions or incentives for purchases that exceed a certain volume."

However, the government appears to have changed its stance on this with the new legislation saying, “These measures must be justified and will be adopted in a proportionate manner when necessary to prevent shortages and guarantee the consumer access under equitable conditions.”

The legislation says that the limitation on the sale of certain items must also be "supported by the actual stock of each merchant" and have the objective of "guaranteeing the right of all consumers to obtain the product in a reasonable and equitable way", explained Government sources.

Last week, in a joint statement, consumer organisations called for calm, urging consumers to avoid compulsive purchases. They said, "Stockpiling products can generate undesirable consequences, such as speculation, anxiety and discomfort among citizens, among others. The Government must guarantee, with all the measures at its disposal, that consumers have access to the products in the different commercial establishments".

Source

https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/4978602/0/gobierno-autoriza-supermercados-racionar-venta-alimentos-desabastec/
https://spanishnewstoday.com/supermarkets_in_spain_may_ration_purchases_in_case_of_shortages_1756377-a.html
https://cadenaser.com/2022/03/30/los-supermercados-y-tiendas-podran-limitar-la-compra-de-articulos-para-evitar-desabastecimientos-por-la-guerra-en-ucrania/