European Union demand to abolish agricultural subsidies would be disastrous

The Agriculture Minister Artur Balazs believes abolition of subsidies would be disastrous and the removal of custom duties on agricultural imports from the European Union (EU) countries without support for producers is unacceptable. However, in the EU budget up to 2006, there is no money for subsidies. In the first five years to seven years, Polish farmers can count only on a small part of the previously expected zl.10 billion a year. The EU is trying to persuade Poland to liberalize the agricultural market but Balazs says that would be easier if a final date for Poland's entry to the EU was closer and precisely known. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 22) A.D.