France promises to give advice on attaining European Union membership

France has assumed the EU presidency for the next 6 months, and says performance tables will be published in November detailing which reforms are consider vital for EU accession. The table will state the level of legislative and institutional changes, and will specify what is mandatory. How quickly Poland will have to implement the euro 40 billion-environmental grant will also be stated. The commission may accept Poland's water and air standards. It will not grant a transition period to companies not conforming to EU environmental standards. Poland's accession should be guaranteed if it maintains the current dynamic economic growth and increasing rate of exports to EU, but it should not be too demanding on agricultural subsidies. (Rzeczpospolita, July 1-2, page B1) P.S.