1.Notwithstanding Article 52(1), a traditional supply need of sugar for refining is fixed for the Community at 2 424 735 tonnes per marketing year, expressed in white sugar.
During the marketing year 2008/2009, the traditional supply need shall be distributed as follows:
(a)198 748 tonnes for Bulgaria;
(b)296 627 tonnes for France;
(c)100 000 tonnes for Italy;
(d)291 633 tonnes for Portugal;
(e)329 636 tonnes for Romania;
(f)19 585 tonnes for Slovenia;
(g)59 925 tonnes for Finland;
(h)1 128 581 tonnes for the United Kingdom.
2.The traditional supply need referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 shall be increased by 65 000 tonnes. This quantity shall concern raw cane sugar and shall be reserved for the marketing year 2008/2009 for the sole sugar beet processing plant at work in 2005 in Portugal. That processing plant is deemed to be a full time refiner.
3.Import licences for sugar for refining shall be issued only to full-time refiners provided that the quantities concerned do not exceed the quantities that may be imported in the framework of the traditional supply need referred to in paragraph 1. The licences may be transferred only between full-time refiners and their validity expires at the end of the marketing year for which they have been issued.
This paragraph shall apply for the marketing year 2008/2009, and for the first three months of each of the following marketing years.
4.The application of import duties on cane sugar for refining falling within CN code 1701 11 10 originating in the States referred to in Annex XIX shall be suspended for the complementary quantity which is needed to allow an adequate supply of the full-time refiners for the marketing year 2008/2009.
The complementary quantity shall be fixed by the Commission, based on the balance between the traditional supply need referred to in paragraph 1 and the forecast supply of sugar for refining for the marketing year concerned. This balance may be revised by the Commission during the marketing year and may be based on historic flat-rate estimates of raw sugar intended for consumption.