Latest sugar plan blocked

EU sugar industry difficulties deepened this week when Australia, Thailand and Brazil blocked a plan to export 2m tonnes of surplus sugar.

EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel’s export plan was aimed at winning the support of Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal, which continue to oppose her reform proposals.

But it has been interpreted internationally as a breach of a WTO rule that the EU can export no more than 1.27m subsidised tonnes per year.