Brussels, 13/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - EU member states will continue their discussions on Monday 16 November regarding changes to be brought to several regulations fixing the amount of production payments for the sugar sector. During the meeting of the Special Agriculture Committee (SAC) early this week, about 10 countries (including Germany, Austria, France, United Kingdom, Belgium and Romania) supported the working paper of the Swedish EU Council Presidency, which provided for reimbursement to the sugar sector of €295.5 million (and not the €10 million that the European Commission has in mind). In May 2008, the European Court of Justice had ruled that sugar production payments received for the period 2002/2003 to 2005/2006 had been overestimated. The EU Council of Ministers has until the end of the month to adopt a regulation that is different from the Commission regulation.
If the modified Presidency regulation is to be endorsed by member states, qualified majority is required in Council in favour of the text, with the support of at least 18 member states. Both conditions must be met. It will not be difficult to have the support of 18 countries when it comes to the technical analysis of the Presidency's proposal and on whether it complies with the Court's ruling. It is on the arrangements for reimbursement that opinions differ. Reimbursement should not come from the Community budget as sugar sector payments are considered as traditional own resources paid to the EU budget. (L.C./transl.jl)