European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen, in a written answer on 18 June 2026, defended the EU's continued support for the cane-sugar-rum sector in the outermost regions (ORs) while urging producers to accelerate structural reforms to ensure long-term viability. The answer responds to a parliamentary question from MEPs Julie Rechagneux, Nicolas Bay, Rody Tolassy, Ondřej Knotek, Valérie Deloge, André Rougé, Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain, and Catherine Griset, who raised concerns about the consequences of ending sugar quotas on the sector.
Hansen highlighted that the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) remains the core stabilisation tool, with EUR 74.86 million allocated for France's ORs in 2026. He also noted that Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans (2023-2027) direct European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD) towards innovation and diversification, and that the Commission's proposal for the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework incorporates OR support into national and regional partnership plans. On trade policy, Hansen stated that sugar is treated as a sensitive sector in all EU trade agreements, either excluded from concessions or limited to about 1% of EU consumption via quotas.
However, the answer contained no new concrete proposals or numerical targets beyond reiterating existing support mechanisms. Hansen stressed that nine years after the end of sugar quotas, the sector must accelerate strategic shifts towards high-value speciality sugars, rums, or renewable energy to boost competitiveness and preserve employment. He called on producers to drive structural reforms, noting that the CAP supports this process but that modernisation and efficiency must remain at the heart of the sector's strategy. The new OR strategy, he added, will aim to enhance competitiveness by tailoring EU policies and funding to needs and simplifying rules.
The answer signals a policy orientation that balances continued EU financial support with pressure on producers to adapt, reflecting a cleavage between public funding for vulnerable regions and market-driven competitiveness. Stakeholders most impacted include sugar and rum producers in the ORs, who face pressure to diversify and modernise; EU consumers, who may see changes in product availability and prices; and national authorities in France, responsible for implementing CAP and POSEI programmes. The Commission's emphasis on structural reforms suggests that future policy will maintain support levels but increasingly condition aid on demonstrated progress towards competitiveness. Institutional follow-up is expected as the 2028-2034 MFF negotiations progress and the new OR strategy is developed, with further parliamentary scrutiny likely.