Changes in the European Sugar Regime, satisfying regional sugar demands, and the future role of the Association were among the main issues on the Agenda of the 152nd Board of Directors meeting and the Ordinary General Meeting of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) held on February 18 and 19, in Belize City, Belize.
The SAC, in a press release, stated that the new arrangements for the supply of sugar to the European Union which began in October 2009 resulted from changes to the Sugar Regime and replaced the Sugar Protocol which was implemented in 1975 to govern the arrangements for the supply of sugar to the EU. This arrangement was incorporated into the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and CARIFORUM countries and remains effective until 2015.
In light of these changes, SAC members noted that though the EU market is the lowest priced of all the export markets available to its members, due to the current high prices in the United States and world markets, this situation could change and the EU market could be the most remunerative for suppliers.
Under the new sugar arrangement, the CARIFORUM group now has unlimited access, subject only to a Regional Supply Threshold of 560,000 tonnes of raw sugar, if total ACP sugar supplies exceed 3.5 million tonnes. Each supplying country is now free to negotiate individual commercial contracts with refiners or sell to the EU for direct consumption.
The meeting agreed that work should commence now to influence the shape of a new Sugar Regime post 2015. They agreed that members need to propose clearly defined strategies, establish alliances and sensitize stakeholders.
A Draft Position Paper, outlining as its objectives a Regime with prices which are fair, stable and reasonably remunerative, access which is secure and a predictable long term market for all sugar suppliers to the EU, including SAC members, has been prepared for ACP Ambassadors in Brussels.
The Common External Tariff and divergence of interests on sugar prices amongst government, sugar users and the industry were also among those to be resolved.
Other issues to be examined include the role of research and cane breeding, meeting the demands of the regional market from regional production, representing the interests of sugar producers at the regional and international level, as well as maintaining effective links with commercial and political representatives in the EU and US.
Also of concern was the slow pace of disbursements of funds allocated under the Accompanying Measures which were intended to help buffer the economies of sugar supplying countries from the fall out associated with the price cuts.
Members of the ACS Board of Directors for 2009-2010 were also appointed. These include Barbados- Mr. Leslie Parris, Belize- Mr. José Montalvo, Guyana – Mr. Errol Hanoman and Jamaica – Mr. Karl James who was also elected to serve as Chairman of the Association.(GINA)