A DEBATE on sugar has left North West Labour Euro MP Gary Titley with a bitter taste in his mouth.

He found himself on the losing side when MEPs voted in Strasbourg to reject European Commission proposals for root and branch reform of the European sugar market.

Earlier Mr Titley had voiced strong support for the Commission plan to make drastic changes to the sugar regime when the current arrangements expire next year.

He said: "Reform of the sugar market is crucial to tackle over production and artificially high prices in the EU.

"It is important for European consumers and for the European taxpayer. Reform is also necessary to comply with world trade rules."

"There are confectionary manufacturers in the North West who are struggling because the price they pay for raw sugar has been forced artificially high by EU tariff barriers.

"They are finding it more and more difficult to compete with non-European manufacturers who can buy much cheaper sugar on world markets where, ironically, the over-production in Europe is dumped-forcing prices down.

"By delaying reform of the EU sugar regime until 2006-in line with the European Parliament vote this week, hundreds of jobs in the Britain confectionary industry could be lost.

Vowing to continue the fight for reform, Mr Titley said that Labour Euro MPs would now take the issue all the way to the EU Council of Ministers, later this year.