EU Sugar Reform Must Comply with WTO Ruling
The Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile, today welcomed the European Union's announcement about
reforming its sugar sector, saying it is a positive step towards meeting its World Trade Organization commitments by May
22 2006.
The Council of the European Union announced overnight in Brussels that it had reached agreement on reforming the EU
sugar sector.
"Sugar remains one of the world's most heavily distorted trade sectors, so reform is long overdue," Mr Vaile said.
"The successful WTO action that Australia, Brazil and Thailand took against EU sugar export subsidies is one of the
factors in the EU reform."
Mr Vaile emphasised that the EU must still comply fully with the WTO rulings against it and reduce its exports of
subsidised sugar by 22 May 2006 - the date set by the WTO.
"This announcement is a positive step that will be welcomed by Australian cane growers, who can look forward to less
distortion in the world sugar market in the longer term."