The countdown has started. The sugar industry in the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and, particularly Mauritius, as leading sugar exporter in the region, is holding its breath. The final decision on the end of the sugar protocol will be announced at the end of the week. The meeting between the European Agriculture ministers starts today in Brussels.

The first proposal by the European Union (EU) was to cut the sugar export prices of ACP countries on the EU market by 39%. This decrease, recommended by the European Agricultural commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, was intended to extend over four years with compensation.

This did not match ACP’s expectations. Mauritian Agriculture minister, Arvind Boolell, has kept up a constant lobbying to bring this reduction down since he came to power. The exercise which was started by his predecessor, Nando Bodha, has taken him all over the world to win the support of the highest number of European countries.

This approach may well prove fruitful. There are rumours that the reduction rate could be lower than initially thought. An agricultural magazine, Agra Facts, states that the decrease could be between 33% and 36% and would be extended over a longer period of time and could even be subject to review.

As for the ACP countries, they have expressed the wish that the decrease should not be higher than 19%. They have also made a plea to the Europeans for this drop to be effective as from 2008 over a period of eight years.

Eleven countries appear reluctant to see the 39% decrease applied, out of compassion towards ACP countries. This reluctance might eventually lead to a less important reduction. Italy was the latest to reassert its support to ACP countries. The Italian representative even told Arvind Boolell, last week, that there was “solidarity between these 11 countries” in favour of ACP countries.

Today, Great Britain, which chairs the EU, will circulate a document to help find a compromise between EU countries on the sugar issue. At the same time, PM Navin Ramgoolam, will seize the opportunity of the Commonwealth summit in Malta, to discuss the issue with his British counterpart, Tony Blair. A few days later, he is going to Mali for the France-Africa summit and intends to take up the matter and seek support from French president, Jacques Chirac. Let's keep our fingers crossed…