Brussels, 22/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday the European Commission decided to restore preferential treatment of sugar imported into the EU from Serbia and Montenegro, thus putting an end to a period of 15 months when the preferential (zero) tariff could not be applied. The preferential treatment was initially suspended in May 2003 on the basis of findings by the European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF), according to which the system in place in Serbia and Montenegro was totally inadequate to verify whether the sugar exported to the EU under preferential arrangements indeed originated from the country. Now that adequate measures have been put in place by the authorities, notably in the area of sugar and the Commission therefore had decided to restore the preferential system but will continue to monitor the situation and enable the Commission to certify the origin of sugar and to ensure the necessary co-operation for verifying proofs of origin. “Now that adequate measures have been put in place by the authorities, I am pleased that the preferential tariffs for sugar imports from Serbia and Montenegro can be restored”, commented Customs Commissioner Frits Bolkestein. A notice to European sugar importers announcing this decision will soon be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The preferential regime will again be applied as from 7 August 2004.