§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to proposals by the European Commission for reform of the common agricultural policy as regards sugar; and what impact they consider these proposals will have on developing countries. [HL3888]
§ Lord WhittyThe Commission's latest communication on its preferred option for reform of the CAP sugar regime was presented to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 19 July. The proposal calls for significant cuts in EU price support with a further review of the regime in 2008. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State gave a general welcome to the proposals as a step in the right direction, while urging a swifter end to quotas and emphasising the need to address urgently the impacts on those developing countries which currently enjoy preferential access to the EU market.