Miller reassures Kalinowski over EU milk quotas

Agriculture Minister Jaroslaw Kalinowski was shocked at the news that the negotiated limits on milk production may be changed before the country's EU entry. "I declare that I would not accept the negotiation results if the possibility of changing the milk quota were written in a document summ arizing the summit talks in Copenhagen," Kalinowksi wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Leszek Miller and President Aleksander Kwasniewski. "Poland will not lose a single liter of milk," said a spokesperson for the EU's Agriculture Commissioner. At the same time, Miller offered assurances that the milk quota of 8.5 million tonnes has been agreed in writing and cannot be questioned. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A4) A.Z. A-Z of EU membership harmonization: Consumer rights This issue is so essential for the Union that Poland is obliged to accept EU regulations as early as the beginning of 2004. What are these regulations? Telecommunication and postal operators will have to offer the so-called universal services i.e. access to Internet in remote towns as well as the possibility of sending letters locally. Airlines selling more tickets than the number of seats available (overbooking) risk high penalties for the practice. "The law of cautiousness" prohibits introducing genetically modified food onto the market until evidence is provided of its safety. A ban on cigarettes advertising is also very restrictive. The above mentioned are just a few examples of many rights designed to make consumers' lives easier from 2004. (Rzeczpospolita, Dec. 14-15; p. A5) A.Z. Public support for EU entry jumps to 72% Support for joining the EU has risen following last week's summit deal to admit 10 new members in May 2004, an opinion poll released yesterday showed. In a telephone poll of 1,000 people, 72% said they supported entry on the terms negotiated by Prime Minister Leszek Miller at the Copenhagen summit. 14% opposed joining and 14% had no opinion. The survey gave a boost to Miller, who won pledges of more budget cash, farm subsidies and milk quotas at marathon talks in Copenhagen, as he opens campaigning to win an accession referendum next June. Support was up from earlier soundings but the snap survey, by the PBS research group for Rzeczpospolita, was not representative and may not take full account of rural voters, who tend to be more eur o-skeptic than town dwellers. Some 53% said they would actually take part in the referendum, just above the 50% required to make it valid under the constitution. 82% of those willing to take part in the referendum said they would vote "yes" for EU entry and 8% "no". (Reuters) K.Z.