Press Release: Commission tables measures to ensure market balance in the sugar sector

The Commission has tabled a series of measures intended to provide sugar operators in the EU with predictability for the next marketing year starting from October 2011. The package fixes a quantitative limit for the exports of out-of-quota sugar (650,000 tonnes) and isoglucose (50000 tonnes) for the marketing year 2011/12. It also includes the opening of an import quota of 400,000 tonnes for industrial sugar. With these measures, sugar operators received a strong signal that it is attractive to grow and produce sugar. The proposals were backed by Member States yesterday in the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets, which delivered a positive opinion.