Brussels, 05 July 2023 – ESRA, the European Sugar Refineries Association and CIUS, the European Sugar Users Association of the food and drink industries would like to express their support for an EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the pending EU-Mercosur FTA.
Both ESRA and CIUS call on the co-legislators and the European Commission to recognise the important opportunity that these FTAs present to foster mutually beneficial relationships with two long-term partners of the European Union. We are confident that the final decisions taken in Brussels will
bring tangible market access benefits as well as long term advantages in terms of creating sustainable relationships with our key trading partners.
There is no longer a justification to treat sugar as a sensitive product in FTA negotiations, as the EU has become a net importing region and needs to guarantee sufficient sustainable supplies from imports to respond to the demand in the European Union.
Press Release is available here.
