Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-03-10-Speech-4-040"
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"en.20050310.3.4-040"2
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"Thank you Mr President. Commissioner, I would like to take a slightly different tack. The present sugar regime has been in force, unchanged, for 40 years. At the same time, the European Union is no longer the same as it was 40 years ago.
The main shortcomings of the present sugar regime are the lack of competition, market distortions and high prices. The lowering of the sugar price is an issue of key importance for the new Member States, including Estonia.
Since Estonia is not a sugar producer or a sugar beet grower, the whole burden of the higher sugar price is shouldered by the consumer. At the same time, there are no producers in Estonia who would benefit from the higher price. Today Estonia is one of the Member States with the lowest average
income, and the price of sugar will affect the quality of life of people with a lower income in particular. Sugar is a significant component in the consumer’s average shopping basket.
The price of sugar in European Union countries is up to three times higher than the world market price. Knowing this, people in our country rushed to buy sugar just before accession, and we are now in a situation where our sugar reserves are larger than those permitted in the EU. We are threatened with a sugar fine. According to data held by competent State bodies, 2/3 of this reserve is in the hands of the general public and was not bought for speculative purposes. We ask you to take into consideration your own Directive No 6…"@en1
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