The social partners in the EU sugar industry, EFFAT and CEFS, have released the fourteenth edition of the EU wide CSR report, marking their continued cooperation on many fronts.
The sugar sector plays a crucial role in the rural economy. With 106 factories across 19 EU Member States, the sugar sector provides high-quality industrial employment where few alternatives exist.
Although the industry’s enhanced competitiveness has no precedent, the EU sugar sector is facing a potentially difficult period. High production in the current campaign and low world market prices have translated into a challenging market situation.
In this context industry and employees continue to cooperate effectively in Brussels, fighting successfully for a reasonable emissions trading system and caution in the EU’s trade negotiations.
Most importantly for this report, sugar companies continue to implement good social practices to adapt to changing realities and improve employees’ wellbeing. This is the case in all eight areas of the Code of Conduct where many good practices have been collected. This CSR report is a testament to the strong relations between the industry and employees – a model that can be replicated in other sectors.
