Criticism for FM as Verheugen insists Poland's EU accession is still on track

Only the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and Labor Union (UP) supported a government statement on progress in negotiations with the European Union (EU) presented by Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz in the Sejm yesterday. The third member of the ruling coalition, the Polish Peasants Party (PSL), expressed several doubts, while the opposition parties heavily criticized the Minister for his recent change of heart on the issues of labor movement and land purchase, and in particular for announcing the new stance in Brussels before Warsaw. "We must act faster and more effectively," urged Cimoszewicz. "If we don't manage to complete negotiations with Brussels within eight to nine months, the European Union will remain closed to us for several years." Meanwhile, EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen gave assurances yesterday that Poland's bid to join the EU was not threatened by a possible conflict with France over agriculture. "I think it's wrong to say, as France has said, that Poland has fallen behind in the entry process. Poland is absolutely in the top class of candidate countries," said Verheugen. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1; Reuters) M.K.