Danish Minister tries to calm Polish fears over EU subsidies for agriculture

Denmark's Agriculture Minister, Mariann Fischer Boel who is currently visiting Poland, said at a press conference yesterday that she cannot imagine Poland being a member of the European Union without full membership rights by January 1, 2004. "The EU's concern over direct subsidies for agriculture for candidate countries differs from one state to another, therefore it is necessary to come to a compromise in the EU before January 1, 2003," she said. Minister Boel explained Germany's Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder's recent comments over agriculture subsidies for the candidate countries as a call to reform the EU's agricultural policies after 2006. The aim of the reform is to divide subsidies for the agricultural sector more evenly among the member states. Agriculture Minister, Jaroslaw Kalinowski, said he cannot imagine the possibility where Polish farmers do not receive any financial help from the EU. (Rzeczpopolita, p. B1) A.K.