EU may agree to five-year transition period to protect Poland's farmers

The European Commission has eased its stance on the protection of the Polish farming market and is ready to accede to some of Poland's demands. These include a five-year transition period, starting from the country's European Union (EU) entry date, during which trade between Poland and the rest of the EU in agricultural produce would be limited. Until recently EU negotiators had been claiming that Polish food products are much cheaper, so there should be no problem of an influx of goods once Poland joins the EU. However, now they are willing to acknowledge that a problem exists, and they have recognized the need to address it. This could mean that Poland would be allowed to introduce export licenses or a certification system, to prevent mass imports of cheaper EU pork and poultry. (Puls Biznesu, p. 9) T.J.