Brussels, 03/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission is to approve its proposal aimed at adapting the common market organisation for sugar. It will be a question of a minor reform, which aims essentially to protect, by adapting it, the current regime beyond 2001, in compliance with the decisions of Agenda 2000. Some Commissioners wondered about the appropriateness of undertaking the reform in two stages, but dropped their reluctance, Mr. Fischler having point out the need to have additional time to perfect the definitive regime and especially to negotiate with Member States.
Other than the abolition of the storage system, the "small reform" provides for a 115,000 tonnes reduction in production quotas. EUROPE recalls that to satisfy the undertakings made in the framework of the WTO, the Commission has already proceeded, through the management committee procedure, with a 500,000 tonnes reduction in production quotas for the year 2000/2001 (see EUROPE of 15 September, p.13).
On Wednesday, the Commission will at the same time approve its revised proposal on the banana import regime, based on the "first come first served" mechanism, in the perspective of then reaching a purely tariff system, without quotas (for which some Member States and certain exporter countries have raised reservations or are simply opposed to).