European Commission - Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
European Commission - Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
04/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/30/2026 08:34
Commission acts to support EU sugar producers amid market pressures
Today, Member States endorsed the Commission's proposal to suspend the use of inward processing in case raw cane sugar is imported and refined into white sugar. This suspension will provide relief for the EU sugar market and help restore market balance, by taking away the pressure that is perceived by duty-free imports under the so-called inward processing. At the same time, farmers have already made an effort to reduce the sugar beet acreage in the EU to adjust to the market situation. In turn, this will help EU sugar producers and ensure fair competition, so that sugar beet cultivation remains viable in the EU. The proposal follows Commissioner Hansen's announcement on 26 January of a temporary suspension of the sugar inward processing regime, an EU customs mechanism.
The measure adopted today will not affect inward processing imports of white sugar. Operators across downstream industries using white sugar as a raw material to manufacture products for export can continue to rely on these imports without disruption. Similarly, the imports of raw sugar that is processed without refining are excluded. This targeted approach addresses the identified market concerns while ensuring continuity for other operators and trade flows.
The suspension will be limited to one year and will cover both new and existing authorisations or rights for the use of inward processing. During this time, operators that previously used inward processing for the import of raw cane sugar for refining into white sugar will have access to raw cane sugar from origins benefiting from preferential access to the Union market.
Next steps
The Commission will assess the effect of the suspension within the first six months after its entry into force. During the suspension period, the Commission will also assess options to improve the functioning of inward processing in the sugar sector. The suspension of inward processing addresses a market disturbance in the short term. The Commission is also assessing whether further action may be warranted. In this context, the Commission will conduct a "health check" of key markets, including sugar, which will inform these reflections.
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European Commission - Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development published this content on April 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 30, 2026 at 14:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]