Government has no contingency plans should EU entry be later than 2004

Gazeta Wyborcza has asked European Affairs Minister Danuta Huebner whether the government has a contingency plan should Poland fail to enter the EU in 2004. "We are doing everything to ensure entry to the EU as planned, which is from the beginning of 2004," said Huebner. She also confirmed that the government had not yet discussed an emergency plan, which does not mean, however, that there was no problem or that the Cabinet would not eventually have to prepare one. The entire national development plan is based on the assumption that Poland will join the EU as planned, which means that every delay will mean less money from EU sources, despite the billions of zloty which have to be spent on adjusting the economy and laws to EU standards. According to Huebner, delayed EU accession would substantially increase the operating costs of the economy and stunt economic growth. This would jeopardize highway construction, agricultural restructuring and regional development. It would also mean that companies would become more indebted and would have to look abroad for sources of income or increase public debt. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 16) M.M.