EC COMMISSION REJECTS SUGAR THREATS - SOURCES

  The European Community Commission has
  told EC member states that it is not prepared to discuss EC
  sugar prices while sugar traders threaten to make a huge sale
  into intervention stocks to protest against its policies,
  Commission sources said.
      "Our position is that we are not willing to discuss the
  problems of market prices at a time when traders are making
  threats," one source said.
      The sources said the Commission's view was made clear at a
  meeting of its sugar management committee today.
      They said French, West German and Dutch officials had
  informed the committee that traders in their countries intended
  to sell just over 850,000 tonnes of sugar into EC intervention
  stocks.
      The Commission riposted by signalling that it would sell
  the sugar sold into intervention back onto the EC market by
  tender, a move that would push down prices.
      The sources said French traders planned to sell 775,000
  tonnes into intervention stocks, West German traders 7,500
  tonnes and Dutch traders 2,500.
  

