European Union softens stance on aid to farmers of candidate states

As reported by European Union (EU) Commissioner Guenter Verheugen yesterday, the negotiations on Poland's accession to the Union will be completed between October 24 and December 12 this year. He announced that the European Commission will present EU members with a report on the ten countries which are ready to join Union. "We want to produce the final treaties which will be formally signed in March 2003 in Athens," said Verheugen. Yesterday Poland supported a motion of reform of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) proposed by Germany, aimed at limiting direct subsidies for EU farmers so that more money can be allocated for rural development. In return, Berlin will take into consideration Poland's requests concerning this issue. "Polish agriculture desperately needs to be modernized, therefore Poland will support proposals to ensure that more funds are used to develop rural areas," said EU affairs minister Danuta Huebner. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1-A4) A.Z.