14 February 2012
Sugar users call
for end to EU quota system
Reforms to the EU sugar regime should be
implemented no later than 2015, say the UK industrial sugar users,
representing manufacturers of soft drinks, biscuits, cakes,
chocolate, confectionery, breakfast cereals, ice cream, yogurts and
chilled desserts. UKISUG has published a response to the
recent EU reform proposals, which calls on the European Commission
to:
- Abolish beet production quotas at
the earliest opportunity on 30 September 2015 for both
sugar and isoglucose as proposed.
- Reduce disproportionately high
import tariffs in advance of 2015 to help ensure
sufficient imports reach the EU market to guarantee security of
supply and to promote greater competition in the market.
- Guarantee adequate imports of duty
free cane sugar after 2015 to ensure that all sugar
producers can compete effectively in the market place as well as
ensuring security of supply.
At both a UK and EU level, UK sugar users
operate in increasingly open and competitive markets. To succeed,
our industries must have access to adequate supplies of safe, high
quality and competitively priced sugar.
The current system of production quotas and
import tariffs restricts the availability of sugar and reduces
competition in the EU sugar market. Maintaining the security
of supply of such a vital ingredient is good for consumers and good
for jobs.
Ends
For further information please contact
Richard Laming
Media Director
British Soft Drinks Association
Tel: 020 7025 3707 / 07879 654555
Email: rlaming@britishsoftdrinks.com
Website: http://www.britishsoftdrinks.com/
Notes
1. UKISUG represents the collective
interests of the major industrial users of sugar in the UK,
comprising manufacturers of soft drinks, biscuits, cakes,
chocolate, confectionery, breakfast cereals, ice cream, yogurts and
chilled desserts. These sectors represent combined employment in
excess of 70,000 people and a total turnover of more than £12.3
billion. Manufacturers using sugar in processed products account
for about 70 per cent of usage in the UK or nearly 1.2 million
tonnes.
2. Background documents from the
European Commission on reform of the sugar regime can be found here
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-post-2013/legal-proposals/index_en.htm
(N.B. the main document is 257 pages)
3. The UKISUG position paper
responding to the EU reform proposals is here http://bit.ly/A8rxZq