The sugar market in Europe is envisaged to become more competitive by 2017.

This after the World Trade Organization (WTO) has obliged the European Union to do away with the preferential market access by 2017 for sugar coming from African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

However, the EU head of delegation to the Pacific Andrew Jacobs says they are working on providing all the support they can to support Fiji’s sugar industry to help make it more competitive.

Jacobs says following the successful September election they will now be able to work with the Fijian government directly.

He says they are already targeting on how to utilize the money that will come out of the 11th European Development Fund.

“Fiji sugar is going to have to compete with European Sugar beet producers so we are very keen to provide all the support that we can to help to make Fiji sugar more competitive to ensure that Fiji sugar is up to the challenge of the competition.”

The Fijian government has applied provisionally to the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement to continue to access the preferential market in Europe.

Jacob says they look forward to the ratification of the interim EPA by the parliament.