Proposed Reform of the EU Sugar Regime: More Market, Consumer and Trade Friendly?

The European Commission has tabled proposals for the major reform and liberalisation of the EU Sugar Regime, starting in 2005, and for completion in 2008. A substantial reduction in sugar exports and support for exports, reduction of domestic price support and production are proposed. The current EU Sugar Regime has been fiercely criticised for not being market, consumer, and developing country trade friendly. This issue of Trade Hot Topics explores how friendly the reforms are, in particular to the developing country countries. It gives particular attention to the implications for the Sugar Protocol exporters within the ACP sugar producing countries, and the least developed countries with preferential access to the EU under the ‘Everything But Arms’ Agreement.