Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the countries within the EU currently involved in sugar production from sugar beet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36605/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The 2006-2009 scheme for the restructuring of the European sugar industry, which was implemented as part of the reform of the EU sugar regime, resulted in the EU sugar quota being reduced by 5.2 million tonnes to 13.3 million tonnes. EU sugar production is now concentrated in 18 Member States (as opposed to 23 before the reform) which enjoy favourable agronomic conditions. They are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom. Over 75% of production is accounted for by 7 of these Member States, namely (in order of size of quota) France, Germany, Poland, UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Italy.