Brussels, 09/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - At the Presidium meeting of the COPA (Committee of Agricultural Organisations in the EU) and COGECA (General Committee of Agricultural Cooperatives in the EU) on Friday in Brussels, Commissioner Franz Fischler repeated just days before presenting his communication on the changes to be made to the sugar regime, that reform in the sugar sector was "inescapable and highly necessary" (see details in EUROPE of 25 June 2004, p.14).
After presentation of the communication, Mr Fischler said that they would work to ensure initiatives are taken by the end of the year allowing the main challenges facing the sugar sector today to be raised. He cited the growing gap between Community prices and those on the global market and the evolution of the sector, which is not in keeping with the general orientation of Common Agricultural Policy over the past 18 months.
In its communication, the Commission mainly foresees a reduction in the institutional price of sugar in three stages: a direct payment to offset price falls, an increase of 100,000 tonnes yearly in the isoglucose quota, or specific programmes for the ACP countries and the setting in place of a tariff quota for preferential imports from the Western Balkans.