With the reform of the European Union sugar market regime, the European Sugar Industry is undergoing a deep restructuring process. This process also asks for changes in the organisations serving the sugar industry.

In Europe there have been up to now several organisations dealing with the exchange of information on an international basis in the area of Sugar Technology, i.e.:

• CITS (International Commission for  Sugar Technology);
• VDZ (Verein Deutscher Zuckertechniker).

In addition there are national organizations such as:

• Fachverein der Zuckerfabiken Österreichs;
• Stowarzyszenieienie Techników Cukrowników;
• Assoziazione Nazionale fra I Technici dello Zucchero e dell'Acole,

each dealing with the exchange of technical information.
Both CITS and VDZ recognized the need to have a European (umbrella) organization for sugar technology, thus concentrating and strengthening the exchange of information by a close cooperation between the current existing sugar technology organisations. Such a European Society could serve the international sugarbeet industry in the same way as the international organization ISSCT does for the international cane sugar industry.
Therefore on 12 September 2007 the ESST was founded in Berlin. With the formation of the ESST, the CITS has been dissolved. because its functions will be incorporated within the ESST.