Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of Agreements in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and, of the one part, Barbados, Belize, the Republic of the Congo, Fiji, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Jamaica, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Madagascar, the Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Mauritius, the Republic of Surinam, Saint Christopher and Nevis, the Kingdom of Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of

Protocol 3 on ACP sugar attached to Annex V to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, and the agreement on sugar between the European Community and the Republic of India provide for a Community undertaking to purchase and import at guaranteed prices cane sugar which the exporting countries concerned cannot market in the Community at prices equivalent to or higher than the guaranteed prices.

For the 2005/2006 delivery period, the Commission has negotiated guaranteed prices with the ACP States and the Republic of India pursuant to Articles 5(4) of Protocol 3 on ACP sugar, referred to in point 1, and the agreement with India on cane sugar as well as in conformity with the guidelines for negotiations given by the Council on 22 April 2002.

The Commission therefore proposes that the Council adopt the proposal for a decision on the conclusion of these agreements in the form of an exchange of letters as set out in the Annex.

Financial impact: The expenditure related to these proposals are already covered by the appropriations included in the Budget 2006.