European Commission regrets attack on EU sugar regime, but will abide by WTO Appellate Body ruling

Comments by Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Peter Mandelson, European Commissioner for Trade, on a ruling by the WTO Appelate Body on the EU's sugar regime, 28 April 2005.

The Panel found the EU's sugar regime, especially the export subsidies, to be inconsistent with the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. In this dispute, Australia, Brazil and Thailand had challenged two types of EU exports of sugar as being subsidised contrary to the WTO Agreement.

WTO: Report of the Appelate Body, AB-2005-02, European Communities - Export Subsidies on Sugar, 28.4.05 http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/265_266_283abr_e.pdf

WTO: 2005 News items: Appellate Body issues report on sugar dispute, 28.4.05 http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news05_e/news05_e.htm

---