EU transition period deals blow to Poles
The European Commission (EC) (http://www.europa.eu.int/index_en.htm) last week proposed a transition period of up to seven years before foreigners can buy agricultural land in Poland, far short of the 18-year time frame requested by Polish negotiators (http://www.ukie.gov.pl/cona/index.htm).
The EC also set a five-year transition for the purchase of secondary residences. In both cases, self-employed farmers would not face any restrictions, the EC proposed. The European Union's (EU) policy-generating body also recommended a review after three years that, depending on findings in an EC report, could have the transition period shortened or lifted.
Poland is requesting 18 years before foreigners can purchase agricultural or forest land and five years for real-estate investment purchases.
"Polish public opinion is particularly sensitive to the issue of land ownership," negotiators wrote in the country's official position papers on EU accession. "Therefore negotiation results in the area of freedom of real-estate acquisition can be a decisive factor for the approval of the future accession treaty by Poles."
The precautions are a guard against government concerns that companies based in the EU could use their financial strength to outmuscle Poland's citizens in the real-estate market, according to officials. There is also an unspoken fear that pre-World War II German landowners will want back their former property, now in western Poland.
Poland currently allows foreigners to purchase land for real-estate investment but only with approval from the Interior Ministry.
"The Commission has recognized the high political sensitivity of purchasing real estate in a majority of candidate countries ... at the same time it is important for the EU to strike the right balance between the candidate countries' considerations and the integrity of the single market," the EC said.
Along with free movement of labor and agricultural policy, real estate acquisition is one of the most sensitive issues facing negotiators from both sides. Poland has provisionally closed 15 of the 31 negotiating areas that must be settled before its EU accession.
As it began to fall behind other countries seeking membership, Poland softened its stance in some remaining areas, but the sides are still far apart in others. With labor, for example, Poland is calling for no restrictions on workers who want to look for a job in any EU country, while the EC has proposed a flexible transition period of up to seven years.
The member states must unanimously adopt the EC's proposals before they become official. At an informal meeting in Sweden last weekend, EU ministers were scheduled to discuss the labor issue.
