EU could take tough stance against "inelastic Poland" in agriculture negotiations

"The suspension of talks on the abolishing of barriers in agricultural goods trade is a bad signal before the coming negotiations on agriculture," said Jean-Christophe Filori, spokesman for European Union (EU) expansion commissioner Gunter Verheugen. On Wednesday, EU and Polish officials announced that talks on so-called double zero (no customs duties and subsidies on agricultural trade) broke down. Now Filori says that EU member countries will have to decide what to do about the "double-zero" in trade with Poland. Poland could face the consequences of the suspension in June, when the negotiations on agriculture begin. According to European Commission (EC) sources, Poland has shown "it will not be elastic" and therefore the EU's stance could also be tough. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 25) T.J.