Irish push European Commission for reinstatement of sugar industry

IRELAND can restore the EU’s sugar self-sufficiency and reduce costly imports, promoters of Irish sugar interests have told the European Commission.

Ireland South MEP Seán Kelly and Allan J Navratil, chairman of the Irish Sugar and Bio-fuels Initiative, have called on the European Commission to reinstate the Irish sugar industry at a hearing of the European Parliament’s committee on petitions.

The EU is now only 85% self-sufficient in sugar since the Mallow factory in Cork closed. The EU sugar reform had aimed to achieve efficiency, but led instead to a loss of revenue, employment and home-grown produce, said Kelly and Navratil.

The EU now pays €40 per tonne more to import sugar than Irish produce would cost. Mr Navratil cited the conclusions of the Court of Auditors from the November 2010 inquiry which found the reform process was based on outdated and incorrect data.

Mr Navratil said: “The Court of Auditors determined that there was no economic justification for closing the Irish sugar industry, especially as Ireland’s only remaining factory was among the most efficient in Europe.”

Both Mr Kelly and Mr Navratil are urging the Commission to seriously look at the possibility in assisting Ireland in re-establishing its sugar industry with a combined sugar beet and bio-fuel plant. Mr Kelly said €400m would set up a new factory and singled out an existing fund of €640m which could be utilised for this purpose.

Sean Kelly said: “We must develop domestic supply within the EU and not rely on expensive imports.”

The suggestion is now to be forwarded to the Parliament’s Agriculture Committee for further consideration.