Brussels, 16/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is making no secret of its intention very shortly to bring forward measures to improve the sugar supply to the Community market. Measures for this year are expected to be similar to those taken last year: authorisation of the production of “out-of-quota” sugar and import quotas.
European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos says that member states have responded to a questionnaire on prices, consumption, current supply and the level of stocks. “It seems that a large number of member states are experiencing difficulty in finding stocks at the moment.” Analysis of the situation on the sugar market reveals, then, supply problems in some regions, especially for small businesses (SMEs), and high prices in several EU countries. “We will deliver our response in the coming weeks”, the spokesman said. At the Management Committee on 8 March, most member states called on the Commission to take further measures to improve supply and to halt the rise in prices. (LC/transl.rt)