EU and Poland reach impasse in agricultural trade liberalization negotiations

Talks between Poland and European Union (EU) over the lifting of custom duties and subsidies in agricultural trade have broken down. Both sides were optimistic before the talks began but the agreement could only be reached if Poland withdrew last year's decision to raise duties on some agricultural goods, which EU commissioner Franz Fischler said breaches former bilateral treaties. Poland, which maintains the talks were only suspended, was ready to lift its custom duties if the EU stopped subsidizing its exported goods which would otherwise flood the Polish market devastating the already struggling industry. Since the negotiations failed the agreement on trade liberalization between Poland and EU will not come into force on July 1, 2000 as planned. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 25) P.S.