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EU sugar companies big winners from CAP subsidies

01 May 2010, 14:32 CET
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(BRUSSELS) - Sugar companies were among the largest beneficiaries last year of Europe's Common Agricultural Policy payments, according to statistics made public Saturday by most EU member countries.

"Each year there are special payments. For the 2009-2009 period the sugar sector benefited from the aid for exporting", the European Commission spokesman for Agriculture, Roger Waite, said on Friday.

In France, in the year between October 2008 and 2009, three sugar companies received the top subsidies: Tereos (117.9 million euros/156.8 million dollars), Saint Louis Sucre (143.7 million euros) and Cristal Union (57.2 million euros).

In Spain a sugar company also occupied first place, with Azucarera Ebro receiving 119.4 million euros.

The world's leading sugar company Sudzucker came second in Germany's list with its 42.9 million euro subsidy, behind the dairy company Nordmilch (51,1 million euros).

The CAP aid for exports allows European exporters to remain competitive by compensating for the EU's higher prices compared with world markets.

It is the second year running that EU countries have had to publish by April 30 the full list of beneficiaries of CAP payments, with the aim of using the information to debate the future of the policy.

France and Britain, which has delayed the publication of its list until after the country's general election on May 6, are the two main protagonists in the hotly debated reform of the CAP.

Britain wants to put an end to direct subsidies, while France is fighting to retain them.

EU Member State websites providing information on 
beneficiaries of CAP payments 

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