EU Court Decision

GREENCORE GROUP PLC
7 October 1999


Irish Sugar - EU Court Decision

The Court of First Instance of the European Communities has issued its judgement
on the appeal application brought by Irish Sugar plc, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Greencore Group plc, against the Commission of the European Communities for
the annulment of the Commission's decision of 14 May 1997 which concluded that
Irish Sugar had infringed Article 86 of the Treaty of Rome, resulting in the
imposition of a fine of Euro 8.8 million which was subsequently paid.

The Court of First Instance has annulled that part of the decision which had
found that Irish Sugar had granted selectively low prices to the customers of a
French sugar importer. The Court also reduced the fine imposed on Irish Sugar by
Euro 916,674 to Euro 7,883,326. The Court dismissed the remainder of the action
and ordered Irish Sugar to pay its own costs and two-thirds of the Commission's
costs, and ordered the Commission to pay one-third of its own costs.


The judgement is being examined by Irish Sugar and its lawyers to determine what
course of action it may pursue.


Ben Power
Greencore Group plc