German objections threaten to cost farmers euro 10 billion of EU subsidies

The German government is pressuring the European Commission (EC) to allocate lower-than-anticipated funding as direct subsidies for farmers from Poland a nd other Central European countries after their accession to the European Un ion (EU) in 2004. The EC will present a proposal for the financial condition s of EU enlargement at the end of January. However, financial and negotiatio n commissioners Michaele Schreyer and Guenther Verheugen have already stated that candidate countries can count on euro 11.6 billion in 2004, euro 14.2 b illion in 2005 and euro 16.8 billion in 2006. Germany, which will be respons ible for meeting one fourth of EU enlargement costs, opposes the EC plans an d insists that the candidates receive just 20% above the level of funding al located for 2002. This would mean candidate countries receiving euro 10 bill ion less over the three years than initially planned by the EC. (Rzeczpospol ita, p. B1) M.T.K.