Europe: On May 1 of this year ten more countries will join the EU. Malt exports of the new members in 2002 were close to 400,000 tonnes, of which 179,000 tonnes from the Czech Republic, 161,000 tonnes from Slovakia and 47,000 tonnes from Hungary. Malt imports of all ten countries were about 320,000 tonnes, the largest importer being Poland with 160,000 tonnes. Trade channels will not change much in the beginning, but a few factors will make a difference in the future, e.g. the geographical situation of the Czech Republic in the middle between Austria, Germany and Poland and the abolition of all export subsidies in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

19 March, 2004