German Sudzucker set to gain 1/4 of Polish sugar market

German sugar concern Sudzucker has bought 99.7% of French Saint-Louis Sucre (SLS), the formal owner of the Silesia-based sugar mills, Slaska Spolka Cukrowa, for euro 1.5 billion, becoming the second largest player in the Polish sugar sector after Polski Cukier (Polish Sugar). Sudzucker, which already owns five sugar mills in the South of Poland, is now in line to gain control of over 25% of the whole Polish sugar market, after it becomes the legal owner of SLS-held Slaska Spolka Cukrowa. The latter is a bone of contention between the company and the Interior Ministry, which has to give its consent for the deal but has so far resisted. SLS has already appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court to rule on whether the deal should be given the "go-ahead"; a verdict is expected on July 12. The controversy was ignited by MP, Gabriel Janowski, who has lobbied against the sale of the sugar mills into foreign hands, insisting they should instead be incorporated into Polski Cukier. (Gazeta Wyborcza, June 30-July 1, p. 24) J.K.