EU agriculture commissioner says farmers will have to wait for subsidies

Farmers in countries joining the EU will not be entitled to direct subsidies for the first few years after their accession, EU agriculture commissioner Franz Fischler announced on Monday. Speaking at a meeting of agriculture ministers of the 12 candidate countries, Fischler stressed that agriculture is a significant issue in negotiations, and farmers in countries joining the EU have to be ready for restructuring in line with the needs of globalization, international competition and their obligations under the WTO. Today direct subsidies to European farmers account for two thirds of the EU's agriculture budget. Poland had hoped to obtain euro 3 to 4 billion each year to help its farmers, but the commissioner's announcement makes it clear that there will be no money available in the EU budget for that purpose until the year 2006. (Rzeczpospolita, p.B3), M.T.