Poland may change stance on land lease for EU farmers

The European Integration Committee (KIE) worked last Friday on the last element that would finalize the negotiating chapter with the European Union (EU) regarding flow of capital. The KIE dealt with the problem of how to count the mandatory leasing period before EU farmers would be able to purchase land. Until now Poland had wanted a three or seven year lease period, depending on the voivodship in question, to be counted starting on the day Poland joins the EU. The EU argued that counting of this period should start on the day the lease is signed. The EU argument had been opposed by many of KIE's members, but the government plans to decide on Tuesday whether to change Poland's official attitude towards the issue. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 28) A.K.