International Pressure to cut Poland's proposed EU structural funds by 75%

France and Germany claim that the European Commission's proposal to grant Poland euro13.8 billion structural funds during the first three years of its EU membership are unrealistic. French and German officials say that Poland will not be able to use annual structural funds of euro4 billion to euro5 billion if currently cannot even absorb euro1 billion from the pre-accession programs. In their opinion, granting one fourth of the proposed amount would be much more reasonable. Cutting the subsidies may be the condition under which Germany will accept the proposals of the European Union on introducing direct subsidies for Polish farmers to be paid after nine years. So far, Germany, as well as the Great Britain, Holland and Sweden, who are the largest contributors to the EU budget, are officially excluding the possibility of granting any subsidies to farmers from the aspiring countries. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B2) A.Z.