Big Three back EU sugar reform

A SPOKESPERSON for the Council of Ministers said only seven member states, including Poland, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Portugal, were very opposed to the EU sugar reform proposals presented to them last Monday in Brussels.

He said four countries Belgium, Austria, Latvia and Lithuania voiced less severe opposition.

But three of Europe's 'big four' the UK, France and Germany supported the Commission's plan for swift and radical reform, and were backed by Sweden and Denmark.

France, usually the strongest protestor against any radical CAP proposal, was said to "fairly quiet", and fairly happy with the reform plan as it stood.

Since EU enlargement, 232 votes out of the Council of Ministers total of 321 are sufficient to carry a motion, but the seven members most strongly opposed to the reform last Monday constituted a "blocking minority."

However, their position was seen as tenuous by Brussels observers, who said Commissioner Fischer Boel needs only to appease the "waverers" in the negotiations, and win over one of the larger countries in the opposition, such as Spain, Italy or Poland, to carry her sugar reform.

Several member states supported reduced price cuts, possibly extended longer than the two years proposed.

But the reform is unacceptable for Italy and Poland.

Opposition was also clear last Monday from southern countries like Spain, Portugal and Greece. Finland and Ireland also rejected the proposals. But even the Poles said they were willing to discuss the prices, and Commissioner Fischer Boel said she had no doubt that a deal would be reached.

"There are more votes for than against the proposal today," she said.

With some reservations, Germany and Britain both with an influential vote broadly favoured the plan. Denmark, Sweden and Estonia called for even more radical proposals.

The Netherlands was among the member states pressing for a better deal for farmers.

Agriculture Minister Cees Veerman said the proposed compensation to farmers for 60% of the proposed price cut was not enough.

But some member states were of the opinion that the proposed compensation for the EU sugar industry is too generous, even though 90,000 jobs are at stake across the EU, with repercussions for another 410,000 in farming and processing , according to the sugar industry.