Сравнителен анализ на развитието на сектор захар в България и Румъния преди и след присъединяването им към ЕС
A Comparative Analysis of the Development of the Sugar Sector in Bulgaria and Romania Before and After Their Accession to the EU

Summary/Abstract: Romania and Bulgaria are two neighbouring countries located in one of the most deficient regions in terms of own raw material for sugar production in Europe. The region is defined as deficient due to unfavourable climatic conditions for sugar beet cultivation compared to the largest sugar producers in Europe: Germany, France, the Netherlands and Poland, where 70% of all sugar production in the EU is concentrated. At the peak of the sugar sector in the two countries, there used to be 40 sugar factories with more than 9,500 employees. After their accession to the EU and the end of the so-called sugar sector reform, only five factories managed to survive. The EU sugar sector reform itself was not carried out on a parity basis for all operators, but it gave more rights to beet processors at the expense of restrictions imposed on cane refineries and imports of raw cane sugar for refining. One of the outcomes of the reform is the differentiation of three regional markets, with a price gap of €61 between the first and the third region. The Balkan sugar sector is highly endangered and threatened with destruction. There is an urgent need of preferential custom quota for import of raw cane sugar to be implemented. Deficit countries like Bulgaria and Romania need to secure the traditional sugar consumption with local production from an independent source. Such a measure will prevent the monopolization of the market and protect the interest of the local economy, industry, and consumers.

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