Further to a European Court of Justice ruling in February 2017, the Council of the EU agreed, upon a proposal from the European Commission on Monday 19 February, to reimburse to European sugar and beet producers part of the excess production levies paid for the periods 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 due to miscalculation. The total impact for the Union budget is evaluated at €195.3 million, of which €93.1 million is for reimbursement strictly speaking and €102.2 million is interest costs.
Sugar levies were linked to the production quotas system which ended on 30 September 2017 (see EUROPE 11874). Producers that exceeded their quota had to pay a levy on the additional quantities produced.
The settlement also fixes the revised amounts that sugar producers should reimburse to those selling beet from whom they had received part of the excess payment. (Original version in French)