EU to allow transition period for Polish abattoirs, dairies and agriculture

The European Union (EU) will probably agree after accession Polish abattoirs, milk plants and farms will be exempt from European sanitary norms for a few years. The EU Council will agree only if Poland agreed to fulfill them later. The EU estimates that adjusting to EU norms will cost about euro 800 million. The EU emphasizes that it is important to estimate how many food companies will have to be exempted. The Polish government claims that by 2003, 70% of dairies will fulfill those norms and now it is about 30%. The European Commission (EC) is demanding that after the transition period the companies, which do not meet the requirements, will be closed. (Rzeczpospolita, page B1) M.M.