European Union expansion commissioner examines agriculture firsthand

European Commissioner in charge of expansion Günter Verheugen arrived in Poland yesterday, reassuring farmers they were on track to integration with the European union (EU), despite the country's antiquated agriculture sector. Verheugen got first hand information about what farmers are facing after he visited agricultural regions in the north-east of Warsaw. He urged the farmers not to stop until they reach the stringent standards vital for Poland's full compliance with the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Polish diplomats and the media are constantly amused by the commissioner's frequent change of the possible date for expansion of the EU to the East. Perhaps to satisfy his domestic audience hostile to expansion, he has frequently given the German media later dates than those has given in his official talks with the Polish side, but this suggests he is indeed genuinely committed to speedy expansion. (Zycie, page 6, Reuters).