Poland's farmers given promise of priority in European Union accession

The European Union will not finalize partnership negotiations on agriculture with other candidate countries ahead of Poland, German deputy agriculture minister Jurgen Detken said yesterday in Berlin. However, while confirming Poland's place in the first group of candidate countries to join the EU, Detken warned that Poland's farmers would not receive any direct subsidies before 2006. The Polish government is claiming subsidies for the country's farmers valued at euro 3 billion to euro 4 billion a year. However, the Spanish foreign minister last weekend threatened to block talks with candidate countries, if Spanish demands were not satisfied. His remarks were made in response to a German statement about limiting structural aid for Spain after the new countries joined the EU. Similarly, France has also demanded the maintenance of current levels of support for its farmers. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1) M.T.