EU ministers discuss sugar policy
European Union agriculture ministers meet in Brussels today to discuss urgently-needed reform of the sugar sector, which has been criticised for impeding fair trade and hurting the economies of developing nations while providing poor service for European consumers.
On her first day on the job, new European farm commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel will join the 25 agriculture ministers to see how they can substantially cut export subsidies without hurting the industry too much.
The World Trade Organisation ruled in October that government handouts to European sugar exporters exceed WTO limits.
The resulting low prices make it impossible for other countries to compete, both in the European market and outside the EU, where Europe sells its excess sugar for below-market prices, the WTO said.
