EU Parliament - Sugar reform: more financial support for ACP countries in 2006

The European Parliament Development Committee is demanding extra aid for the ACP countries hit by the overhaul of the Community sugar regime. MEPs want the EU to provide €80 million in 2006, double the €40 million proposed by the European Commission when it unveiled the reform in June this year.

The figure of €80 million would come from the External action budget heading, a key area in the ongoing negotiations between Parliament and Council on the 2006 budget. Given the "particular situation" and the "urgent nature" of this matter, rapporteur Bernard Lehideux (ALDE, FR) hopes Parliament and Council will be able to reach agreement "at the first reading of the 2006 budget" so that the signatory countries to the sugar protocol (see link below) can anticipate the impact of the sugar reform and adapt their industries by the start of next year.

At the same time the Development Committee urges ACP countries affected by the reform to promote non-food uses of sugar such as bioethanol production. And MEPs want the reform's flanking measures to be extended automatically to 2007 if negotiations on the next financial perspective drag on, thereby delaying implementation of the new instrument for development aid and economic cooperation.

Mr Lehideux's report, drafted under the codecision procedure, is on the agenda for the October plenary session in Brussels.

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• EU Commissioner Fischer Boel on adoption of EU Parliament's sugar reform report  (19/1/2006)
• EU Commissioner Fischer Boel urges Council to adopt bold and responsible sugar reform (18/11/2005)
• EU Parliament - Sour reaction to sugar reform at EP hearing  (14/7/2005)
• Sugar Reform will offer EU producers long-term competitive future  (22/6/2005)
• Speech by Commissioner Fischer Boel - Sugar's Role in Development Policy (30/5/2005)
• European Commission regrets attack on EU sugar regime, but will abide by WTO Appellate Body ruling (28/4/2005)