EU declares its Eastern border is now secure under Polish supervision

The decision means that on the night of April 30-May 1, commercial custom controls on the borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania will disappear. If Polish custom officers do not fulfill their duties correctly than the whole functioning of the Common Market will be threatened. Analysts fear that it is impossible to fully stop smuggling, as the price gaps of cigarettes and alcohol remain far too tempting. The Sejm has not yet accepted a custom bill harmonizing Polish control procedures with EU ones. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A5) M.M.