IMPACT OF CZECH REPUBLIC ACCESSION TO EUROPEAN UNION ON SUGAR IMPORTS

The Czech Republic, as a member state of the European Union, is part of the common European market and as such is subject to EU measures and positions. In the last years the European Union made some decisions with a view to restructuring the European sugar market and increasing the productivity and profitability of the European sugar industry. The Czech sugar market is supplied from its own resources and also from imports. The aim of this paper is to analyse the import demand for sugar with an emphasis on its changes related to the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union. Although sugar imports increased before the year 2004 and after this time as well, the growth rate of import demand decreased. Structural changes also reflect on the import of sugar and, even though 50% of the operational demand is met by three countries in the long run, import from less traditional and remote destinations is growing.