Brussels, 14/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - The agricultural professional organisations COPA and COGECA categorically reject the "incoherent and unacceptable" reform of the rice sector, proposed by the European Commission on 7 June this year (see EUROPE of 8 June, p.8). They consider that the "Commission proposes a fool's bargain for producers". "Not only they will lose intervention but, in addition, rice imports will continue to be carried out with very reduced or zero duties", note COPA and COGECA, which affirm that "it would have been wiser, for the future of the Community rice sector, to negotiate new fixed import duties without doing away with intervention, and to reform afterwards".