Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This issue is one of many that are being debated as we draw to a conclusion in the Council of Ministers on a negotiating position on CAP reform. Then we can go into a trialogue process to agree in co-decision with the European Parliament what the CAP will look like for the next seven years. Hopefully, the Irish Presidency will be able to conclude all of that before the end of June. Sugar is one of the items under discussion and it is one of the four regulations on which we must achieve a common position. My view is clear on this. During our Presidency of the Council of the European Union, my job is to get a compromise with which everyone can live. Everyone knows the Irish perspective on this. We will see a compromise whereby there will be a midpoint between 2015 and 2020 - it will probably be closer to 2020 - for ending sugar quotas. My view is that they should be stopped after 2015, letting the free market take effect. If there is to be an increase in quota - which there needs to be - we would be looking for a quota sufficient for the Irish market for three or four years, namely between 180,000 and 200,000 tonnes. One needs such amounts to achieve economies of scale to produce sugar efficiently.

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