The sugar sector in Europe is under high pressure, companies are not making profits, production is slowing down and workers are losing their jobs.
Six companies closed across Europe since the beginning of 2025 alone, meaning more than 1000 jobs lost.
These figures confirm a trend that EFFAT’s sugar sector affiliates have been experiencing for decades. This is the result of irresponsible decisions made by EU legislators, unsustainable trade agreements, high energy costs, and unfair competition from highly subsidised external markets.
The European Commission cannot temporarily suspend the Inward Processing Relief (IPR) scheme without conducting a rigorous socio-economic impact assessment that clearly shows the impact of this decision on jobs across the different Member States. EFFAT will not accept any further job losses in an already struggling sector.
