Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 290: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the announcement by a company (details supplied) of its intention to close the sugar beet processing facility in Carlow and to carry out all processing at its plant in Mallow has weakened her position in negotiations at EU level regarding the future of the sugar beet industry in the EU. [6682/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In the forthcoming negotiations on the reform of the EU sugar sector, my overall objective is to ensure the continuance of an efficient sugar beet growing and processing sector in Ireland. The company has stated that its planned rationalisation and investment programme based on concentrating processing of the full Irish quota at its Mallow site is geared towards improving long-term competitiveness and that it reflects the company's commitment to maintaining an efficient sugar processing industry in Ireland into the future. Therefore, while not underestimating the scale of the challenges ahead in relation to the forthcoming Commission proposal for reform of the sector, I do not consider that my negotiating position has been weakened.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 291: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if any national or EU grants can be awarded to a company (details supplied) in respect of the rationalisation programme of its sugar beet processing facilities here involving its stated plans to close its Carlow plant and upgrade its Mallow plant. [6683/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Aids for investments in processing and marketing activities in the sugar sector are implicitly prohibited under the common organisation of the EU sugar market. State aid for the sugar sector is therefore excluded under the Community Guidelines For State Aid In The Agriculture Sector (2000/C 28/02). This prohibition extends also to aid to small or medium sized enterprises engaged in the sugar sector.

Accordingly no national or EU grants have or can be awarded to the company in question in respect of its rationalisation programme.