EU summit in Barcelona; Poland focuses on land, insurance and energy

During the European Union (EU) summit in Barcelona, Polish representatives focused on the issue of foreigners' rights to buy Polish land. According to Gazeta Wyborcza, Prime Minister Leszek Miller wants to close this chapter in EU negotiations by the end of March to prevent the Polish Peasants' Party (PSL) from demanding stronger terms in the new law on land sales. Miller and Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz were trying to convince the Germans for a longer transition period, but the Germans are worried that if Poland is granted such rights other candidate countries may do the same. The issue of the participation of the Eureko holding in the privatization of Poland's largest insurer Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczeniowy (PZU) also came under the spotlight, with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Benschop saying that it is important that Poland should clear up the matter so as to improve its credibility with foreign investors. Economy Minister Jacek Piechota declared that Poland intends to comply with the EU resolution on liberalizing the energy market by 2004. (Gazeta Wyborcza, March 16-17, p. 23; Rzeczpospolita, p. A1) M.T.K.