UK presidency eyes sugar reform deal

Date: 17/11/05

The UK presidency of the EU is hoping that a deal on reforming the EU's 37-year-old sugar regime can be clinched next week.

Sugar is to dominate a three-day meeting of the EU's agriculture ministers (22-24 November). British diplomats hope that an accord on this politically fraught dossier will give a new impetus to the troubled Doha Round of trade talks ahead of next month's meeting of the World Trade Organization in Hong Kong.

The key to ensuring a successful outcome, say diplomats, lies in whittling down the minority of EU governments opposed to the reform blueprint put forward by the European Commission. "There is room for manoeuvre," said an EU official following the dossier. "There is a large number of national delegations who could live with the reform proposals, if they are revised."

The British have not yet presented any compromise proposals to other EU governments and are not expected to do so until the beginning of next week's meeting.

Article reports that the UK Presidency of the Council was optimistic that an agreement could be reached over how to reform the EU's common market organisation for sugar at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council to be held in Brussels, 22-24 November 2005.

European Commission: DG Agriculture and Rural Development: Agricultural markets: Sugar http://ec.europa.eu/comm/agriculture/markets/sugar/index_en.htm

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