Poland alone in opposing free trade in processed farm goods

Rzeczpospolita has learned that Poland was the only country joining the EU that rejected proposals for liberalizing the trade of processed agricultural products. If no agreement is reached, all countries in Central Europe, except for Poland, will be able to send their processed goods to the EU without restrictions from January 1, 2004. This means that domestic producers of chocolate, confectionery or pasta would be pushed out of the Common Market as custom duties would be kept at the current level until Poland joins the EU on May 1, 2004. The government decided on this policy in order to keep a barrier of high import duties on vodka, whisky and other strong alcohols imported from the Union. The European Commission, under pressure from the UK, believes that this is a violation of the whole agreement. "We warned Poland to gradually open its market. Otherwise it is threatened with a substantial increase in imports of these products," said Nick Soper, European director of the Scotch Whisky Association. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B2) M.M.