EU sugar policies partially behind cancellation of Foreign Minister's speech in Belgium

Ilkka Kanerva

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The speech by Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Ilkka Kanerva (Nat. Coalition) that was scheduled to be delivered today at the College of Europe in Bruges was unexpectedly cancelled on Monday.
      Why was the address in Belgium called off? Is the Finnish government nettled over the EU's decision to enact further cuts in sugar production?
      Those close to Kanerva admitted that the sugar issue was one of the reasons why the speech was cancelled. However, this was not merely a case of strutting and fretting.
      In the Kanerva cabinet it was thought that at the moment there are too many issues floating around in the EU. In addition to the sugar decision, which from the Finnish point of view is extremely unfavourable, there are all sorts of sentiments of general non-uniformity within the Union. And on top of everything else there are now talks about the "group of wise men" suggested by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in which Finland, too, would like to see its own representative.
     
This is not the time to announce important Europe policies, the Foreign Ministry has decided.
      "Just so that we don't have to start correcting any such statements already next week", a source close to Kanerva added.
      Running out of time was another reason why the address was cancelled. Even on Monday there was still no clear leading thought for the speech.
      Kanerva plans to deliver a speech at Bruges at a later date, once he has a clear opinion concerning the Union's present situation.
      Still, Kanerva's trip to Belgium was not a total loss. On Tuesday he met with José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, among others.
      Barroso acknowledged that Finland's disappointment with the sugar decision had been noted by the Commission. This is hoped to aid Finland in the coming complex negotiations over Southern Finland's aggricultural subsidies later this autumn.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Fate of Finnish sugar factory to be decided in spring (28.9.2007)
  Finnish sugar production gets no support from European Union (26.9.2007)
  Finns to put forward own candidate for EU "group of wise men" (26.9.2007)
  EU allows Finland to pay special compensation for sugar farmers (25.11.2005)
  Sugar beet growers concerned at EU plans for production and producer prices (23.6.2005)

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