Lamy to talk sugar reform at Oxford
4 January 2001
Lamy to talk sugar reform at Oxford
By FWi staff
THE annual Oxford Farming conference opens with a speech from EU trade commissioner Pascal Lamy trade commissioner at the European Union, Pascal Lamy.
Hell outline plans to remove trade taxes and tariffs, between the 48 poorest countries in the world and the EU.
But the National Farmers Union opposes the idea on the grounds that it could open the door to an influx of cheap sugar third parties.
“If you talk to most major sugar traders theyre laughing themselves silly. Theres no ability to control cross-border traffic of sugar between countries.”
Quite significant estimates suggest that several million tons of sugar could come into country under those arrangements.
But Mr Lamy said that export capacities of the poorest countries were limited and precautions would be taken to prevent diverted sugar flodding the market.