Czechs reject mandatory quotas on local food in stores

PRAGUE (AP) — Czech lawmakers have rejected a proposed bill to reduce dependency on food imports by imposing a quota of locally-produced food to be sold in supermarkets. Lawmakers in the upper house, or the Senate, dismissed the bill last month. It would have required that the percentage of Czech food sold in larger stores would be a minimum 55% in 2022 and rise to at least 73% in 2028. The lower house had originally approved the controversial requirement in January but on Tuesday accepted the upper house’s veto. Eight other European Union countries and the bloc’s executive body strongly criticized the bill, saying it would break EU rules by discriminating against imported products.