1.In order to preserve the structural balance of the market at a price level which is close to the reference price, taking into account the commitments of the Community resulting from agreements concluded in accordance with Article 300 of the Treaty, a percentage, common to all Member States, of quota sugar, quota isoglucose and quota inulin syrup may be withdrawn from the market until the beginning of the following marketing year.
In that case, the traditional supply need for refining imported raw sugar provided for in Article 153 shall be reduced by the same percentage for the marketing year concerned.
2.The withdrawal percentage referred to in paragraph 1 shall be determined by 31 October of the marketing year concerned at the latest on the basis of expected market trends during that marketing year.
3.Each undertaking provided with a quota shall store at its own expense during the period of withdrawal the quantities of sugar corresponding to the application of the percentage referred to in paragraph 1 to its production under quota for the marketing year concerned.
The sugar quantities withdrawn during a marketing year shall be treated as the first quantities produced under quota for the following marketing year. However, taking into account the expected sugar market trends, the Commission may decide to consider, for the current and/or the following marketing year, all or part of the withdrawn sugar, isoglucose or inulin syrup as:
(a)surplus sugar, surplus isoglucose or surplus inulin syrup available to become industrial sugar, industrial isoglucose or industrial inulin syrup, or
(b)temporary quota production of which a part may be reserved for export respecting commitments of the Community resulting from agreements concluded in accordance with Article 300 of the Treaty.
4.If sugar supply in the Community is inadequate, the Commission may decide that a certain quantity of withdrawn sugar, isoglucose and inulin syrup may be sold on the Community market before the end of the period of withdrawal.
5.Sugar stored in accordance with this Article during a marketing year may not be subject to any other storage measures provided for in Articles 13, 32 or 63.