Landbouwministers eens over hervorming suikermarkt (en)

Consilium - Portuguese Minister for Agriculture, Jaime Silva

The proposal for a new plan to restructure the sugar sector and to balance the sugar market in the European Union was approved yesterday, at the Council of Ministers of Agriculture. The initial changes, anticipated in the 2005 reform, did not come up to expectations, producing an excess of 4 million tons.

Portugal was one of the countries to reach more than 60% of the restructuring of the sector. This fact will allow - with the decision to pay an additional 237,5 Euro/ton with a retroactive effect - producers and the Portuguese industry to receive, as compensation for the effort done, about 12 million Euros. This plan will allow producers to participate in the reduction of the quota, but limited to 10%, in order to guarantee the viability of the sugar enterprises, leaving this decision within the ambit of the inter-professional agreements, if there has already been a restructuring of 60%, which is the case in Portugal.

GRAINS: SUSPENSION OF MANDATORY FALLOW PERIOD APPROVED. IMPORT DUTIES UNDER ANALYSIS

Yesterday's session allowed the ministers to decide for the suspension of a mandatory fallow period for grain cultivation land, in relation to this autumn's and next spring's sowing. This decision aims at authorizing the increase of available land to cultivate grains in order to fight the substantial reduction of EU's grains stocks. There is a generalized consensus to implement measures that will attenuate the rise in prices on first necessity goods and respond to an ever more difficult grains market, caused by the low production of the 2006 harvest. Within this ambit the Commission will soon present to the Council a proposal for the suspension of import duties for all grains.

REFORM OF THE WINE SECTOR

The Council conducted a thorough debate on the reform in the wine sector on knowing that the European Parliament anticipated to the month of December the judgment that had initially foreseen for February of 2008. 

DAIRY SECTOR

The Council also discussed the problem of the dairy sector. The Member States mentioned the increase of the dairy quota for the next campaign, starting in April 2008. Also concerning the dairy sector, the Commission will present, until the end of the year, a report where it may present a proposal for the effective rise of the quotas, already for the next campaign (between 3 to 5%?). The Council also debated the Bluetongue situation, the WTO rules and other matters related to agricultural policy.  

Click here to know more about this meeting.

Also pay a visit to the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture at: http://portal.min-agricultura.pt