EU stands firm on its position on agricultural subsidies to new members

The European Commission told the 12 candidate countries yesterday that it had not changed its stance on agricultural subsidies. It suggested that Poland would receive a euro 2.643 billion subsidy from the European Union (EU) rural development fund in the first three years of EU membership. This constitutes over 50% of all the money the EU plans to spend on supporting rural areas in the new member countries. The Commission will still recommend a gradual shift so that Polish farmers receive full direct subsidies which are granted to EU farmers. This proposal will mean that farmers in the new member countries, in 2004 will only get 25% of the funds that they would have received under the previous regulations. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 2) K.S.