(2004/C 33 E/058)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0654/03

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(5 March 2003)

Subject:   Mozambique sugar farmers

Is the Commission aware of the devastating effect the 8 000-tonne import quota imposed on sugar exports from Mozambique is having on Mozambican inhabitants?

Mozambique has the means to produce as much as 30 000 tonnes of sugar for export to European countries. However, they are unable to do so owing to the strict import quota. Sugar factories in Mozambique are prepared to fund small-scale farmers to buy equipment to enable them to produce sugar from their rich farmland, therefore alleviating the dependence of Mozambicans on EU aid. However, the quotas imposed are restricting this possibility.

Is the Commission prepared to review and increase the quota, beyond the proposed 15 % increase, imposed on Mozambique sugar imports? Will the Commission make every effort to open up the market to Mozambique, therefore empowering its people to rebuild their economy and in turn reduce the need for international aid?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 2003)

Mozambique had no access to the Community's sugar market before the ‘Everything But Arms’ (EBA) initiative. This initiative has, therefore, offered them new preferential export opportunities and has played an important part in the revival of the sector after civil war and flood.

Mozambique will be able to export unlimited quantities of sugar to the Community from 2009. Meanwhile, transitional arrangements apply: they participate in the EBA quota which increases year on year by 15 % from 74185 tonnes in 2001-2002 to 197 355 tonnes in 2008-2009. These transitional arrangements were necessary to allow the Community to undertake the necessary internal adjustments necessary to cope with increased EBA imports.

It would be inadvisable for the sugar sector to rely solely on access to one foreign market: for development reasons, all export opportunities should be considered. Mozambique is thus starting to export to other markets both within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and to the United States, which should further help Mozambican sugar farmers.