At the September Agriculture Council, ministers reached agreement on changes to the sugar Restructuring Scheme, first introduced as part of the 2006 EU sugar reforms.

For the first time it will be possible for individual sugar beet growers to apply direct to the Restructuring Fund. The Rural Payments Agency expects to open an application period for growers to apply to cease deliveries of quota beet for which they have a delivery contract in return for EU compensation. Applications from growers will be limited to a maximum of 10% of the full quota allocated to the UK.

Sugar Producing Undertakings (in the UK this is British Sugar) continue to be able to submit an application to the Restructuring Scheme and there are additional financial incentives for them to do so. Indeed, the same new Council Regulation provides that if the sugar processor should lodge an application to relinquish a quantity which exceeds that applied for by the growers, then the processors application takes precedence and growers applications become null and void.

Full details of the Beet Growers Initiative Scheme are still under consideration in Brussels.

This site will be updated with more detailed information of the application process once the full details have been agreed.