EU assistance program for rural development to be delayed by two years

Implementation of the EU-sponsored Sapard program, providing assistance for rural development in Poland, is going to be delayed by two years, said Deputy Agriculture Minister Zbigniew Chrzanowski after meeting with Franz Fischler, EU commissioner for agriculture. The program, which provides funding of up to euro 171 million a year and is considered extremely important for Poland given its large agricultural sector, was to start at the beginning of 2000. The European Commission said that the delay was due to Poland's procrastination in preparing for the program. (Rzeczpospolita, p.B2) M.S.-C.