The division between European Union (EU) governments who support swift reform of the EU sugar common market organisation and those who are more cautious have been made clear at a EU Council of Ministers (agriculture) meeting.


A council note said British, Danish, German, Latvian, Maltese and Swedish delegations called for a “rapid reform, to make the sector more competitive”, even though the concerns of ex-European colonies amongst the African Pacific Caribbean (ACP) bloc “should be taken into account”.


However, Spain – supported by Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy and Portugal – called for analysis of the reform’s consequences for the European sugar sector, maybe causing delays.