Role of CEFS - The CEFS represents all European sugar manufacturers and refiners in the EU and Switzerland. The substance of CEFS work is to:

• - carry out studies relating to agricultural and technological problems connected with the sugar industry;
• - examine questions concerning food and health;
• - organize meetings of a scientific and/or technical nature;
• - collect, to this effect, information of a statistical or documentary nature;
• - provide the liaison between its members, to ensure their representation in international bodies and institutions together with the joint analysis and resolution of problems relating to the sugar industry in the technical, economic and legal fields.
• - represent its members among the European Institutions (Council of Ministers, European Commission, European Parliament, Economic and Social Committee, etc.) and among different international organisations (FAO, WTO, etc.)

CEFS Secretariat - The Secretariat provides its members with all relevant information on the development of European legislation. It promotes dialogue and exchanges of information, participates in scientific research, carries out economic studies and arranges for the adoption of common positions whenever necessary. As a privileged interlocutor in relations with the Institutions, it endeavours to ensure that the unanimous positions of the European sugar industry are taken into account.

CEFS Decision-making bodies - The supreme decision-making body of the CEFS is its General Assembly. There it holds the statutory elections, adopts the budgets and determines its major policy guidelines. The Board of Directors, comprising one representative from each national delegation, manages all the dossiers dealt with by the Committees and Working Groups, with the guidance of the Secretariat. It has extensive powers. The President of the CEFS, elected for a renewable term of office of three years, is the prime mover. He is assisted in his work by a “high-level group of advisers”, the Presidium, whose seven members are also elected for three years, and by the Secretariat.

CEFS Working Bodies - Eight Working Groups operate under the supervision of two Committees, each chaired by a member of the Presidium. The Working Groups deal with the technical aspects of all dossiers affecting the sugar industry. The Committees prepare positions to be submitted to the Board of Directors and call in external experts to enlighten the debates as required. Ad hoc groups and task forces can also be set up within the Working Groups to address specific problems.

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