WRITTEN QUESTION E-0712/04 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Increasing the Portuguese annual sugar quota.
Date: 2004-03-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Portugal, agricultural quota, common organisation of markets, export refund, regulation of agricultural production, sugar industry, white sugar

C 84 E/854

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

countries remain unchanged, since those terms were already listed in Annex III, Part A to Regulation (EC)
No 753/2002.

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 of 29 April 2002 laying down certain rules for applying Council
Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 as regards the description, designation, presentation and protection of certain wine
sector products, OJ L 118, 4.5.2002.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine,

OJ L 179, 14.7.1999.

(3) Commission Regulation (EC) No 316/2004 of 20 February 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 (cid:1)

OJ L 55, 24.2.2004.

(2004/C 84 E/0946)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0712/04

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Increasing the Portuguese annual sugar quota

(10 March 2004)

On a recent visit to DAI (cid:1) Sociedade de Desenvolvimento agro-industrial, SA (cid:1) in Coruche, Portugal,
I learned that in 2002, the company succeeded in obtaining from Portuguese farmers all the raw material
necessary to produce mainland Portugal’s allocated quota of white sugar.

But the annual quota assigned to DAI, some 70 million tonnes of white beet sugar, accounts for a mere
23 % of the Portuguese market’s needs. Currently, DAI has the capacity to produce over 100 000 tonnes of
white sugar, and in the Alqueva dam area, suitable conditions exist for Portuguese farmers to produce
more sugar beet.

What measures are being investigated, given the proposed review of the COM in sugar, and the need to
raise mainland Portugal’s quota to 100 000 tonnes?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2004)

In accordance with Article 39 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 on the common organisation of
the markets in the sugar sector (1), refineries established in Portugal are guaranteed supply by preferential
imports of raw cane sugar from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, comprising a quantity of
imported at an average price of almost EUR 500/tonne,
almost 300 000 tonnes (t). That quantity,
corresponds to Portugal’s sugar consumption.

That provision enables the refineries to continue operating on the basis of Portugal’s traditional supply of
sugar from certain African countries.

Although not previously a producer, since accession Portugal has also had a beet sugar production quota
of some 70 000 tonnes. Despite relatively high production costs, cultivation has become established and
gradually expanded such that from now on the quota will be attained.

Concurrently with the expansion of production, Portugal’s sugar exports have increased from zero to their
present figure of 90 000 tonnes.

Almost half that quantity is exported to third countries with Community refunds whose unit amount
currently exceeds EUR 500/tonne. The refunds make it possible to reduce the price of surplus sugar on the
Portuguese market to the world price level of less than EUR 200/tonne. The balance of surplus sugar is
sent to other Community countries, mainly Spain.

The Portuguese market’s specific supply characteristics are such that any increase in the beet sugar
production quota would result in the need to increase Community sugar exports with refunds, which
cannot be justified in budgetary terms.

(1) OJ L 178, 30.6.2001.